You can often hear about beans and pulses being packed with fiber, but did you know the fiber content can differ significantly by variety?
Beans and pulses are edible, dried seeds belonging to the legume family, and this article ranks them all by their fiber content.
First we’ll look at how cooked beans and pulses rank for their fiber content per 100 grams. After this, we’ll explore the fiber provision of each one per typical cup serving.
The Highest Fiber Beans and Pulses
Per 100 grams: Cooked navy beans offer the most fiber per 100 grams, providing 10.5 grams of fiber.
Per cup: Cooked navy beans also offer the most fiber per cup, with a 182-gram cup providing 19.1 grams of fiber.
Differences in fiber content: While all beans and pulses are a good fiber source, their exact fiber content can vary significantly. Some options offer 2-3x as much fiber as others per gram, based on cooked weight.
Important Note: The content in this article is for informational and educational purposes only. It should not replace medical advice from your healthcare provider.
Beans and Pulses Ranked By Fiber Per 100 Grams
The following table shows the ranking of common beans and pulses by their fiber content per 100 grams (cooked weight). For those who like to measure dried pulses, 100 grams is approximately 35-50 grams in dried form, depending on the specific food.
Table 1: The fiber content of common beans and pulses per 100 grams (cooked weight)
As the table shows, the fiber content of beans and pulses varies substantially. For instance, navy beans contain approximately three times the fiber content of cowpeas and lupin beans.
Detailed Fiber Content of Each Bean and Pulse Per Serving and Per 100g
For a deeper dive into the fiber content of cooked beans and pulses, here is the fiber content for each variety per serving and per 100 grams.
As the nutritional data shows, navy beans offer the most fiber per 100 grams and per typical cup serving.
The three beans and pulses with the highest fiber content per 100 grams are navy beans, pinto beans, and black beans.
However, per typical cup serving this changes somewhat. This is because some beans and pulses are smaller and heavier than others, so more can fit into a cup.
Bearing this in mind, the three beans and pulses with the most fiber per cup serving are navy beans, adzuki beans, and split peas.
Michael works as a nutritionist in a community setting and holds a Master's degree in Clinical Nutrition. He is a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) with the Association for Nutrition (AfN), and has published peer-reviewed research.
