Love pinto beans? So do I.
Few know that pinto beans are extremely close to being a complete protein source. Fewer, know that they’re a fantastic source of B vitamins and minerals.
Is Pinto Bean Protein Complete?
Strictly speaking it isn’t a complete protein source. However, it’s so close to being complete that you probably shouldn’t even care. Methionine + Cysteine is just a smidgen to low.
Protein Density of Pinto Beans
The protein content relative to calories really isn’t too bad. As usual we express this as the number of calories that have to be consumed to get one gram of protein (rather than the number of grams of protein you get from one calorie of the stuff.)
Protein Source Calories that come with every gram of protein.
Pure Protein ~ 4 Calories
Chicken Breast 5.32 Calories
Lentils 12.86 Calories
Black Beans 14.90 Calories
Pinto Beans 15.87 Calories
Quinoa 27.27 Calories
Brown Rice 48.28 Calories
It really isn’t that bad in terms of density. If you needed 100g of protein you would need to eat 1,587 Calories of the stuff. Please don’t actually do this…
Other Nutrients and Minerals in Pinto Beans
Beans are always packed with B vitamins and minerals. Pinto beans are no different.
%DV
Manganese 23%
Phosphorus 15%
Vitamin B1/Thiamin 13%
Iron 12%
Magnesium 12%
Potassium 12%
Vitamin B6 11%
Copper 11%
Comparison with Lentils and Soy Protein
Pinto beans really shine in their branch chain amino acid content. In particular, the ever so important leucine. In general, it’s a good source of all the essential and semi-essential amino acids.
Comparison with Whey Protein
Again, pinto beans do fairly well. Whey is a fantastic source of leucine and we often use it as a reference because of it’s wide availability.
Conclusion
If you want a good source (won’t blow your caloric budget) of high quality (has enough of the essential amino acids) protein then pinto beans are a fantastic. They can definitely be used strategically to hit your protein target.
They’re low enough in calories that they don’t make hitting your daily targets all that difficult. Just remember to eat them in moderation… unless you enjoy the gas and bloating that comes with a high fiber diet.
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