Beans, beans, the magical fruit… Well, you know the rest. Men aren’t typically portrayed as caring about their health, but we are always good for a few fart jokes. Aside from “breaking wind”, making “bad air”, farting, tooting, or any number of variations, what is a bean good for? The answer is plenty. The next question is which bean is going to be the healthiest? And to narrow that down to the two biggest contenders, are black beans healthier than pinto beans?
Maybe your mother told you one thing and in starting your own family you are running into some differing opinions. Whether you are cooking at home or selecting at a restaurant, the two most commonly available beans are black and pinto. Even though they are both beans, they are different and can be best served with different dishes.
In this article, we will discuss a few things:
- Health benefits of beans
- Pinto vs. black beans taste
- Pinto vs. black beans calories
- Pinto vs. black beans protein
- Black beans vs. pinto beans carbs
- Black beans or pinto beans in a burrito
- Words of caution for bean consumption
- Deciding the overall winner
Health benefits of beans
Let’s start off by saying that beans are more than just the butt of most food jokes. Studies have shown that diets including more beans help regulate blood sugar (diabetes), hunger, and weight. They can also reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, overall cholesterol, inflammation, risk for heart disease, pancreatic and colorectal cancer.
So, if you are looking to add beans, whether black beans or pinto beans, good on you! These benefits are not limited to black and pinto beans, but there is a whole legume family to choose from. Anyways, you wanted to know, are black beans healthier than pinto beans?
Let’s get into it!
Pinto vs. Black Beans Taste
In the food world we can look at taste as a few different things. One is obviously the flavor, but the texture and mouthfeel also play a role in whether or not you choose one food over the other. While you may not consider the flavor of something when determining if it is healthy for you or not, you need to remember that your mind needs to be satiated as well as your body to be content with a meal.
While most beans will take on the flavor profile of what you cook it with, they will each have a little something to add.
Texture and mouthfeel
Pinto beans will have a smoother, nuttier, taste profile to it, meaning that it will have the mouth feel of almost an avocado. Also, pinto beans don’t need to be limited to refried beans in order to be useful.
Compare this to a black bean having the mouth feel of a lima or kidney or soybean. Black beans have a denser texture and almost a grainy profile.
Black beans are going to have more of a meatier texture to them when compared to the creamier pinto beans. If you are adding beans to a salad, soup, quesadilla, or as a side to your enchilada alongside rice, consider whether or not you are wanting to add something that will smoosh (pinto beans) or something that will add bulk to each bite (black beans).
Keep in mind that many canned beans will have a higher sodium content. That sodium (salt) level is before you add anything else to the dish. If you are adding canned salsa, cheese, or tortillas your sodium content can add up quickly. If the liquid in the can is not essential to your recipe consider rinsing your beans before including them in your meal. This can reduce the amount of sodium by up to half.
Pinto vs. Black Beans Calories
The sole focus for most people is the calorie content in foods. So, obviously, when asking, “are black beans healthier than pinto beans” you want to know if one is going to have more calories than the other. As you may have guessed, a cup of black beans (227) and a cup of pinto beans (245) have a similar calorie count. Interestingly, a cup of avocado comes in at 235, while a cup of sour cream comes in at 445.
Again, remember that calories are not the only determinant of what should be classified as healthy. Many foods that are high calorie foods still have very many beneficial nutrients.
As you can see, the calorie content is not going to vary greatly between black beans and pinto beans, but we can look at what makes up those calories and what micronutrients are included with each. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are going to contribute to the calories in all foods so let’s break it down a little further.
Pinto vs. black beans protein
Many people who are looking into a more plant-based diet will also look into beans because they can be an excellent source of protein. Protein is often looked at as a way to build muscle, but it does so much more. Proteins in our diets actually help to build body tissues, run our immune system, and even build DNA.
As you will see below, the protein content for a cup of black bean and a cup of pinto beans is nearly identical. Each will provide nearly a third of your recommended protein intake for the day.
They will both help you to fill up, repair muscle, rebuild proteins and allow your body to function appropriately.
Black beans vs. pinto beans carbs
If you are on a low-carbohydrate diet then beans may not be on your list of food options. Please do keep in mind that beans are not calorie, or carb, free. But that does not mean they are unhealthy. Your body needs both calories and carbohydrates to run optimally.
However, it is important to recognize that not all carbohydrates are created equal. The carbohydrates that are in both black and pinto beans are going to be what we call complex carbs. What that means is that they will have a lower glycemic index than foods like potatoes and breads.
To break it down a little further, a complex carb is organized in a way molecularly that will take you body longer to digest. As a result your body will stay full longer, have less of a blood sugar spike, and a lower likelihood of “crashing”.
One of the reasons that beans take longer to digest is because of the fiber content. So when looking at the carb content, it is important to not only look at the total carbohydrate content. You should also review the items indented underneath it: fiber, added sugars, other carbohydrates. For those of you thinking it, yes, a cup of beans added to a dish will offer more fiber than a bowl of fiber rich cereal.
Canned or dried beans will not have added sugars, but they will denote the amount of fiber in a serving and that is key.
Black beans or pinto beans in a burrito
If you are looking to add a little more bite to your burrito the black bean may be the way to go. If you are adding in avocado and sour cream then you are likely getting the creamy texture that you are looking for without the pinto bean.
However, the pinto bean can provide a healthy way to add the creamy texture and the slightly nutty flavor. It will do so without adding in other fats (sour cream, avocado, crema, etc.).
Please remember that if you are eating a burrito at Chipotle, Cafe Rio, Qdoba or other restaurants they are going to have more sodium in them than if you made them from dry beans at home. You can also ask them to drain the beans really well to reduce some of that salt content.
Words of caution for bean consumption
Many people may experience an increased amount of gas, or flatulence if bean consumption is increased. But there are a few things you can do to help with this.
First, chew your food better.
There are two types of digestion that occur in the body, physical and chemical. The act of chewing is the biggest physical side of digestion while the chemical digestion occurs in your saliva, stomach acids, and intestinal enzymes. The better you chew your food, the less… intestinal distress you may experience.
Second, soak ’em.
If you are going to cook dry beans, soak your beans overnight before cooking them. This will allow some of the starches that cause gas to be drawn out of the beans.
Third, consume fluids.
Don’t just up your fiber intake without increasing your fluid consumption. One of the benefits of fiber rich foods is that they help to keep you regular. One of the ways that they do this is by soaking up water and adding “sludge”. If you get the ratio wrong of water to fiber it can be more solid than desired making it harder to move throughout your digestive tract.
Finally, be sure you are listening to your providers.
If you have medical concerns (such as gastroparesis, food allergies, IBD, etc.) please talk with your doctor or dietitian before making big changes to your diet. While increasing bean and fiber consumption can provide health benefits, if there are underlying health concerns those benefits may be harder to achieve.
Deciding the overall winner
When you came to this article you were hoping for a black and white, or black or pinto, answer. Are black beans healthier than pinto beans? As you’ve figured out, they’re fairly comparable.
I’ve included the micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) profile so that you can do further in-depth comparison if you’d like.
The reality is that both are good and beneficial. It really just depends on how you are going to cook it, and what you’re looking to get from the bean.
If you’re looking for a heartier bean for a soup or a salad, go for the black bean. If you are looking for a softer bean to add into a dish in place of other fats, go for the pinto.
You will get the health benefits from either bean. My only recommendation would be to eat more beans.
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Article written by Zach Cordell, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at www.cordellnutrition.com
Nutrition facts gathered from https://nutritiondata.self.com/