Black Beans - ridiculous question

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hgillesp
hgillesp Posts: 46 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, if you read the back of a can of black beans, it will say that there are three servings, let's say 105 calories each (1/2 half cup). If you weigh the whole can with the liquid it weighs what the can says. But there are usually never 3 1/2 cup servings of beans in there unless you were to include the liquid. But does the liquid have any calories? And I never use the liquid, I always drain it off. I know this sounds ridiculous but I can never get the weight to work out properly and I always weigh all my foods. Does anyone know what the actual calories for the beans only would be, not the beans and liquid? I don't think that I can use the calories for dry beans, either as the weight would be very different. I may not be explaining this very well, but I am really not an idiot.... unless I am just a black beans idiot. Thanks for any help!!

Heather
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Replies

  • janagrace7
    janagrace7 Posts: 4
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    I am curious about this too....I drain my beans b/c I'm sure a lot of the sodium is in the juice....
  • TheGoktor
    TheGoktor Posts: 1,138 Member
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    I'd have thought that 'per serving' means per drained serving. No one would eat them *with* the liquid...would they?!
  • HeatherMarie1174
    HeatherMarie1174 Posts: 355
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    Hmmm ... that is a very interesting question. I'm curious to hear what everyone has to say because I would like to know as well. I have black beans all the time ... they are my favorite!
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
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    I would assume without liquid. But I don't think it really matters.
    You said that it is 105 calories/serving, 3 servings total. So the most you'd be dropping if you ate the entire can at once is probably 50 calories - I wouldn't sweat it.
  • iq5203
    iq5203 Posts: 17
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    I believe that's just for the beans. I wouldn't deduct anything for not using the liquid.
  • utes09
    utes09 Posts: 561 Member
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    What I do is measure out the amount with the liquid to get the serving amount and then i drain off the liquid from that amount. So I drain following measuring, not before. That way I know how much beans would be there when including the liquid. Then when I track it I know in my mind that my sodium for that day is probably slightly lower than it's showing.
  • ad_deutsch
    ad_deutsch Posts: 5
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    The liquid definitely has some calories. The way to find out the proper calorie count is to check calories for dried black beans. The calories are usually given for both the dry weight and hydrated volume. I looked it up and found that 1 cup of black beans have around 227 calories (sans liquid of course).

    Make sure your can contains only black beans & water. Any additional ingredients will influence the calories.
  • Angie80281
    Angie80281 Posts: 444 Member
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    I've found similar problems with canned fruits, and even canned tuna. I'm curious as to the answer.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    .
  • BeckyKSmith
    BeckyKSmith Posts: 212 Member
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    Type in black beans - rinsed and drained into the database when you enter your food in your diary. That will be accurate.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    I don't really know the answer to your question but .......
    this came to mind............
    A cup measurement is by volume, not weight ,so I don't know how you could weigh the beans to find the calories.
  • kyodi
    kyodi Posts: 376 Member
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    Personally I don't drain them when I prepare them. I mince some onion, garlic, cilantro, add some red pepper flakes, and add the beans with juice in and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    That's one thing I dislike about the nutrition labels. They can make the label info be for a given size... say your 1/2 cup example but the package contains 1 and 1/4 cups of beans so without some quick math you can't "portion" 3 portions out of it, not if you want to use their 1/2 cup size anyway. My solution is to split it into 1/3 portions and just track it as if it was 3 full 1/2 cups over estimating the calorie intake a bit. That said try buying dried beans, you can cut way back on the sodium that way and just have to "plan" ahead by knowing the night before you want to use them to set beans to soak.
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    I don't really know the answer to your question but .......
    this came to mind............
    A cup measurement is by volume, not weight ,so I don't know how you could weigh the beans to find the calories.
    a food scale?:tongue:
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I don't really know the answer to your question but .......
    this came to mind............
    A cup measurement is by volume, not weight ,so I don't know how you could weigh the beans to find the calories.

    Most solid foods give serving sizes in both volume and weight. So, the peanut butter I use is 2 Tbsp (volume) or 32g (weight) per serving.
  • wendyleach
    wendyleach Posts: 23 Member
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    Compare to dried.
    My label for dried black beans says 345 calories for 100g or 1/2 cup 16g fibre and 22 g protien. hope that help beans actually have a lot of calories but they are high in fibre and protien
  • JesaGrace
    JesaGrace Posts: 799 Member
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    I don't really know the answer to your question but .......
    this came to mind............
    A cup measurement is by volume, not weight ,so I don't know how you could weigh the beans to find the calories.
    a food scale?:tongue:

    If you used a food scale, you would look at grams......not cups, ounces...etc....
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    If you used a food scale, you would look at grams......not cups, ounces...etc....

    Actually, ounces (oz.) is weight, as well, for solid foods. It's only a volume measurement (fluid ounces) for liquids.
  • hgillesp
    hgillesp Posts: 46 Member
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    One would think not. but the weight of the can includes the weight of the liquid which is where the problem lies for me. :smile:
  • hgillesp
    hgillesp Posts: 46 Member
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    I'd have thought that 'per serving' means per drained serving. No one would eat them *with* the liquid...would they?!

    Whoops! Forgot to include this in my post above - sorry.... neophyte poster...

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