Are baked beans good for you?

Baked beans are a staple in the Australian pantry and whilst a convenient food, it might be a surprise to some that they are healthier than you probably think.

What are baked beans?

Baked beans are often small oval shaped navy (also called haricot) or cannellini beans cooked in a sauce (often tomato) to add flavour, then canned. 

Available in the supermarket or made at home with your own herbs and spices, both can be delicious and nutritious. 

However, let’s take a closer look at the canned baked beans you buy at the supermarket. 

Canned baked beans are part of the legumes and bean group with the main ingredient being the beans, therefore listed first on the ingredient list. Whilst beans are the core ingredient, each variety of baked beans may have slightly different ingredients depending on what is added to them. Most contain tomato puree and a variety of herbs and spices along with a maize thickener, possibly a small amount of sugar, water and a food acid such as citric acid. The citric acid is a food additive used to balance acidity, enhance flavour and can help preserve ingredients. 

Remember, if you have any specific dietary requirements, check the list of ingredients and the nutritional panel of the baked beans on the labels. 

What is the nutritional make up?

In terms of serving size, a serving of beans is half a cup of cooked legumes for a serve of vegetables and 1 cup of beans as a plant based meat alternative. The suggested manufacturer serve size on the label is 150 grams (just over half a cup).

According to the Australian Food Composition database, canned baked beans in tomato sauce on average have the following nutritional make up per 100g. 

• High in dietary fibre with around 4.8 grams
• A source of protein also with around 4.8 grams
• Low in fat at 0.3 grams per 100 grams. 
• Moderate in sodium 378 milligrams per 100 grams
• Minimal added sugar 1.4 grams per 100 grams

Baked beans can be a good source of protein, something particularly valuable for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet and for anyone seeking a source of plant protein. In addition, the dietary fibre contents is good for keeping bowels regular. 

The nutrient to carefully check for on labels is the sodium level. Sodium contributes to your salt, or sodium chloride intake, and even though baked beans are moderate in sodium levels you can look for varieties with reduced sodium levels. 

People are sometimes concerned about sugar listed on the ingredients of canned baked beans, it is minimal with levels of added sugar around 1.4 grams per 100 grams or 2.1grams per 150 gram serve, around half a teaspoon. Baked beans also provide other valuable nutrients mostly thanks to the beans; dietary iron, zinc, copper, selenium and B group vitamins. The- plentiful amount of valuable nutrients outweighs the tiny amount of added sugar.

Are baked beans good for you?

Even though there is talk about eating less processed foods, we really mean eating less ultra processed foods, ones that offer very little nutrients, something that is important for good health. 

Despite this, we actually need some processing to be able to digest certain foods, such as legumes and beans. We need to process them by cooking them, like we do with potatoes and rice, as we couldn’t eat them raw. 

Yes there may be some additives such as colours and flavours, however, you can remove these if you make your own.. Any added colours and flavours added to baked beans have to be those permitted safe with Food Standards Australia New Zealand. 

Make sure you read the labels for baked beans, especially those that have added ingredients such as sausages, as this is likely to increase the saturated fat and salt content.

Can baked beans make you gassy? 

The short answer is yes, baked beans contain fibre, some of which the gut bacteria can ferment into gas. You will be familiar with this as flatulence or farting! Some people might experience extra gas and others not from eating beans. If eating causes you bloating and pain then it could be worthwhile getting some advice about understanding FODMAPS in your diet - this is another whole story on its own. 

How can you eat more baked beans?

As the main ingredient of baked beans are beans, or legumes, they are a nutritious part of the food supply. In fact a diet low in legumes is the number one risk factor for Chronic disease. The Grains and Legumes Nutrition Council recommends we eat 2-3 serves minimum per week, with a serve being ½ cup of legumes to reduce our risk of many common health issues such as heart disease. 

You could easily hit 2 serves, with a cup of baked beans on your wholegrain toast in one meal, then add baked beans as a side dish to your eggs another morning and you have hit 3!

Baked beans can be eaten cold as they are already cooked. This makes them very handy snack when hiking, camping or whilst on the go, particularly before or after exercise when you might not be able to wheat them up. 

You can read more about risk factors for chronic disease in the Living Healthy report 2023 and see that we have a long way to go in increasing the amount of beans we eat to help hit targets for both vegetables and as a plant based meat alternative.

If you would like to make your canned baked beans even more tasty, think about adding some other ingredients to them. Slice up and fry some onion, chilli and mushrooms to add in or make them smoky by adding in paprika.  Baked beans also go well as an addition to a jacket potato with grated carrot, shredded cabbage, a dollop of natural yoghurt and a sprinkle of cheese. 

In summary

To wrap up, shop bought baked beans are a healthy food that we can all enjoy. Where possible choose those lower in salt. They are a ready to go snack or meal conveniently waiting in a can near you!

Related Articles:

• What are the health benefits of legumes?
• How to get more high protein vegetarian foods in your diet
• 5 of the best, affordable (and healthier) pantry staples

Reviewed by healthylife advisory board July 2023.