Garbanzo Canned Bean Question (involving product weight)

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tectactoe
tectactoe Posts: 73 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I bought a can of garbanzo beans the other day. I believe a serving is ~135g or something like that, with the net weight on the front being about 425g, so naturally the "servings per container" was 'About 3' or something like that.

Anyway, the can is obviously full of beans, but also salty water.

When drained, all of the beans only weigh 288g, far less than the net weight.

My question is, do the 'servings' of the beans refer to the plain bean weight, or the beans w/ the water? It would make sense for just the beans, since the liquid is just water & salt, but I want to make sure by estimating the entire can ~2.2 servings, I'm not severely underestimating.

Bonus question: let's say you use the water for the recipe, too. Should that be included in the nutrition for the beans? That is, should you weigh the beans dry, then use that for the nutrition on the can, or dump the entire contents (water included) into a bowl on the scale & use THAT instead?

Replies

  • katya_be
    katya_be Posts: 227 Member
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    This is something I've always wondered too! The serving sizes add up to the 4XX grams on the can label.. To be more accurate I search the database for Garganzo beans cooked drained and thats what I end up using.
  • tectactoe
    tectactoe Posts: 73 Member
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    Yeah, but some of them are vastly different... Not sure why, they should all be relatively similar I would think.
  • KelleP
    KelleP Posts: 33 Member
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    I have a can in my cabinet. Any yummy recipes you wish to share??
  • tectactoe
    tectactoe Posts: 73 Member
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    1 can garbanzo beans
    3 cloves minced garlic
    1 oz minced jalapeno
    2 tbsp lemon juice
    1/2 tsp ground cumin

    Blend in food processor - viola, lowfat hummus.

    My question is, should my recipe include the nutrition for the drained bean weight, or beans + water? I used some of the water to make a creamier hummus. But it's not oil, it's just water+salt.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I use math.

    Say the entire container is 100 calories (for easy math).

    All of the beans, drained, weigh 200 g.

    I eat 50 g of beans. 50/200=25%.

    25% x 100 calories = 25 calories of beans.
  • scythswife
    scythswife Posts: 1,123 Member
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    You could always buy dry ones and then cook them yourself to control everything more including the calories. I have a bag of walmart ones.

    a 1lb bag
    1/4 cup or 35 g of dry beans is a serving with 13 servings in a bag.

    110 calories
    2g total fat
    0 cholesterol
    10 mg of sodium
    310 mg potassium
    21 g total carbs
    7g protein

    I cook them in plain water then add seasonings when I make the hummus. I will cook 1 serving apart from the rest and then weigh it and see what the weight is. I would think it would change due to the water so I wonder if u would be getting less in a serving per can? I will take pics and can post them too if u want.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,503 Member
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    Just add cauliflower to it. That will help solve everything.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • tectactoe
    tectactoe Posts: 73 Member
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    I use math.

    Say the entire container is 100 calories (for easy math).

    All of the beans, drained, weigh 200 g.

    I eat 50 g of beans. 50/200=25%.

    25% x 100 calories = 25 calories of beans.

    I understand this, I do this for things as well. My point is, the serving size for example is 135g. The net weight of the can (on the front label) says 425g. The can also says = servings per container About 3. Makes sense, since 425 / 135 is just a little over 3.

    However when I weighed the beans after draining the water, there were only about 288g of beans. This means the 425g net weight considers the liquid, too. There's no oil in the ingredients, so the liquid is just water & salt.

    That said, should the nutrition label be accounted for just the bean weight, or weight + water?
  • tectactoe
    tectactoe Posts: 73 Member
    Options
    You could always buy dry ones and then cook them yourself to control everything more including the calories. I have a bag of walmart ones.

    a 1lb bag
    1/4 cup or 35 g of dry beans is a serving with 13 servings in a bag.

    110 calories
    2g total fat
    0 cholesterol
    10 mg of sodium
    310 mg potassium
    21 g total carbs
    7g protein

    I cook them in plain water then add seasonings when I make the hummus. I will cook 1 serving apart from the rest and then weigh it and see what the weight is. I would think it would change due to the water so I wonder if u would be getting less in a serving per can? I will take pics and can post them too if u want.

    Seems like a small serving size... I believe a serving size for the canned was around 135g.
  • LessHeavyVeggie
    LessHeavyVeggie Posts: 208 Member
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    I guess it's different where you are, but here (in the uk) the tin will have the net weight and the drained weight and the nutritional information is ALWAYS about the drained weight - what's the point in including water?

    At the bottom is a link to the chickpeas (another name for garbanzo beans) I buy - it specifies drained weight for half a can (120g) in the nutritional info and the calories are 145 so if the calories for 135g of yours are somewhere around 160-165 then it's drained weight if it's a lot less then it's including the water.

    Scroll down to the nutrition section (not the coloured boxes bit)
    http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=262490576
  • skizzerbizkit
    skizzerbizkit Posts: 40 Member
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    bump. I've had the same question referring to canned chicken!
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
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    I use math.

    Say the entire container is 100 calories (for easy math).

    All of the beans, drained, weigh 200 g.

    I eat 50 g of beans. 50/200=25%.

    25% x 100 calories = 25 calories of beans.

    I understand this, I do this for things as well. My point is, the serving size for example is 135g. The net weight of the can (on the front label) says 425g. The can also says = servings per container About 3. Makes sense, since 425 / 135 is just a little over 3.

    However when I weighed the beans after draining the water, there were only about 288g of beans. This means the 425g net weight considers the liquid, too. There's no oil in the ingredients, so the liquid is just water & salt.

    That said, should the nutrition label be accounted for just the bean weight, or weight + water?

    I would just totally disregard the weight of the water. So use the 288 to calculate the % of beans you use, and then use that % to decide how many calories. Just apply the calories for the entire can to the 288 g of beans.

    ETA: If you are concerned there could be some kind of oil/calories in the water, I would rinse the beans really well before using. Any calories left would be negligible once used in the recipe.
  • scythswife
    scythswife Posts: 1,123 Member
    Options
    You could always buy dry ones and then cook them yourself to control everything more including the calories. I have a bag of walmart ones.

    a 1lb bag
    1/4 cup or 35 g of dry beans is a serving with 13 servings in a bag.

    110 calories
    2g total fat
    0 cholesterol
    10 mg of sodium
    310 mg potassium
    21 g total carbs
    7g protein

    I cook them in plain water then add seasonings when I make the hummus. I will cook 1 serving apart from the rest and then weigh it and see what the weight is. I would think it would change due to the water so I wonder if u would be getting less in a serving per can? I will take pics and can post them too if u want.

    Seems like a small serving size... I believe a serving size for the canned was around 135g.

    So I cooked them and did measurements and all and this is what I found.

    1 serving is 35 g dry when cooked the weight changes to 76 g. dry that is 69 beans and since I only cooked them in water and nothing else they are only 110 calories a serving and are ready to take on any flavor I want without the added salt.

    I just like the flavor better cooking them from dry beans to the canned ones.
  • tectactoe
    tectactoe Posts: 73 Member
    Options
    You could always buy dry ones and then cook them yourself to control everything more including the calories. I have a bag of walmart ones.

    a 1lb bag
    1/4 cup or 35 g of dry beans is a serving with 13 servings in a bag.

    110 calories
    2g total fat
    0 cholesterol
    10 mg of sodium
    310 mg potassium
    21 g total carbs
    7g protein

    I cook them in plain water then add seasonings when I make the hummus. I will cook 1 serving apart from the rest and then weigh it and see what the weight is. I would think it would change due to the water so I wonder if u would be getting less in a serving per can? I will take pics and can post them too if u want.

    Seems like a small serving size... I believe a serving size for the canned was around 135g.

    So I cooked them and did measurements and all and this is what I found.

    1 serving is 35 g dry when cooked the weight changes to 76 g. dry that is 69 beans and since I only cooked them in water and nothing else they are only 110 calories a serving and are ready to take on any flavor I want without the added salt.

    I just like the flavor better cooking them from dry beans to the canned ones.

    Thanks for this info! Maybe I'll have to start buying mine dry. How do you cook them? Just boil in water?
  • KelleP
    KelleP Posts: 33 Member
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    Awesome recipe! Made it tonight and added a bit of leftover roasted red peppers!!! It's a keeper!

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