Refried beans are a delicious and full of flavor dish that originated in Mexico. This dish is a staple of Tex-Mex cuisine and is commonly found on dinner tables across the United States.
They’re commonly bought canned in the supermarket but can be made at home as well.
If you’re on a diet or are counting calories for any reason, you may be wondering how many calories are in refried beans.
Many recipes may call for refried beans but if they don’t fit into your calorie plan then you may have to consider cutting them out or cooking something else.
On average, refried beans have 234 calories per serving. This calorie count can change depending on the brand of refried beans, however.
This article will explain where these calories come from and what can increase the number of calories.
What Are Refried Beans?
Before we get into the details of the calorie content of refried beans, let’s take a closer look at what they are. This will give us a better idea of why they have the calories and nutrition they have.
Despite their name and common thought, refried beans are not deep-fried at all! Instead, they’re pinto beans that have been pan-fried in a mixture of salt and lard.
When the beans are cooked, they become soft and eventually soften enough to form a paste. Although this is the base of refried beans, they can have several other ingredients added to them for flavor, such as peppers, garlic, and onion.
Refried beans are traditionally made with pinto beans but you can also find varieties that are made with other types of beans, such as black beans or red kidney beans.
Calories In Refried Beans
A single serving of refried beans equals one cup or 260 grams. On average, a single serving of refried beans has 234 calories.
This is less than the calorie count of an equal amount of regular pinto beans because of the cooking method.
However, there are many factors that can change the calorie count of refried beans so if you’re buying them canned in the supermarket, we recommend checking the details on the nutrition label to find the exact calorie count of each brand.
Some brands of refried beans will have more calories than others. If calorie counting is very important to you, check several brands to see which has the fewest calories.
What Can Affect The Number Of Calories?
As we stated earlier, refried beans are made by pan-frying pinto beans in lard and salt. Lard is made from 100 percent animal fat and is very rich in calories.
The process of frying pinto beans in lard adds calories to them so the type and amount of lard can have a great impact on the number of calories contained in the finished refried beans.
A manufacturer that uses more lard will produce refried beans with more calories.
However, some manufacturers may not use traditional lard in their cooking process. Any vegan versions of refried beans will not use lard as it is an animal product, for example.
It’s not unusual for manufacturers to fry the pinto beans in plant-based oils instead. Any refried beans made with these oils such as olive oil or sunflower oil will have a lower calorie count.
Many types of refried beans also have additional seasonings added to them. This can include ingredients such as garlic, chili peppers, onion powder, bell peppers, or adobo.
Many of these ingredients contain next to no calories and are included in such small quantities that they don’t have a great influence on the calories of the refried beans, but they can still add a couple of calories to the total.
Other Nutritional Values
Refried beans are not only very tasty, but they’re also very rich in a variety of different nutrients.
As long as the calorie content isn’t too much for your dietary needs, you will find that refried beans can be a great source of several different nutrients.
Refried beans are very high in fiber and will add large amounts of your necessary daily amounts of several vitamins and minerals. Let’s take a look at some of the different nutritional values that you can find in refried beans.
Protein: 13 grams
Fiber: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 35 grams
Fat: 5 grams
Iron: 20 percent of an adult’s necessary daily value (DV)
Magnesium: 22 percent of an adult’s necessary DV
Sodium: 64 percent of an adult’s necessary DV
Zinc: 14 percent of an adult’s necessary DV
Remember, these are average values. They can change from brand to brand as the ingredients and oil used during the cooking process of refried beans will affect all of these.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we answered how many calories are present in refried beans. We explained what refried beans are and what they’re made of and then explained where the calories in refried beans come from.
There are many factors that can affect the number of calories in refried beans. If they’re pan-fried in more oil or lard then the calorie count will increase.
There are also a number of additional ingredients that can add more calories to refried beans as well.
Although the average serving of refried beans has 234 calories, we do advise checking the nutritional value stated on the can to see how many calories are in the can before you buy.
By checking different brands, you may be able to find a lower-calorie option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Refried Beans Healthy?
Refried beans have several different benefits. They can help to reduce your risk of various diseases and conditions such as heart disease, constipation, and type 2 diabetes.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Refried Beans?
Refried beans do have a moderately high number of calories. They can also increase your cholesterol levels.
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