Broad Beans Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Dried broad beans contain 423mcg folate per 100g — exceeding the 400mcg daily recommended intake from a single dried measure. Among commonly consumed legumes, dried chickpeas have 557mcg and dried lentils have 479mcg, placing broad beans third — but still above dried kidney beans at 394mcg per 100g. All four legumes exceed the daily value in dried form ^[1].

Cooking and water absorption reduce the concentration to 104mcg per 100g cooked — still providing 26% of the daily value. One cup of cooked broad beans (170g) delivers approximately 177mcg folate — 44% DV from a single serving. This makes cooked broad beans one of the most folate-efficient foods available ^[2].

For food journaling, the folate content alone makes broad beans worth tracking precisely. If you're logging B-vitamin intake, one cup of cooked broad beans provides nearly half the daily folate requirement. All of this is natural food folate (not synthetic folic acid), with different bioavailability characteristics.

Dried broad beans pack 26.1g protein per 100g — higher than dried lentils (25.8g), dried chickpeas (20.5g), and dried kidney beans (23.6g). Among plant-based protein sources, few match this density. Cooked broad beans provide 7.6g protein per 100g, which translates to 12.9g per cup (170g) ^[1][2].

For context, 100g of cooked chicken breast has approximately 31g protein — roughly 4x the protein of cooked broad beans by weight. However, broad beans provide this protein alongside 5.4g fiber, 104mcg folate, and 268mg potassium — nutrients absent in chicken. The comparison is not protein-for-protein, but total nutritional contribution per serving.

For nutrition journaling, a cup of cooked broad beans (170g) with rice provides a complete amino acid profile. Broad beans are rich in lysine (486mg/100g cooked) but limited in methionine (62mg/100g cooked). Grains supply the methionine that legumes lack, making traditional grain-and-bean combinations nutritionally complementary.

Dried broad beans have 25g dietary fiber per 100g — 89% of the 28g daily recommended intake. One cup of dried broad beans (150g) contains 37.5g fiber — exceeding the daily requirement from a single ingredient before cooking. After cooking, the concentration drops to 5.4g per 100g, but a cup of cooked beans (170g) still provides 9.2g fiber — 33% DV ^[1][2].

This fiber content exceeds most common legumes: cooked lentils have 7.9g, cooked kidney beans have 6.4g, and cooked chickpeas have 7.6g per 100g. Broad beans' 5.4g is slightly lower than lentils but remains in the top tier of cooked legume fiber sources.

For food journaling, two servings of cooked broad beans per day (2 cups) provides approximately 18.4g fiber — 66% of the daily recommendation from a single food. Combined with whole grains, this makes meeting daily fiber targets straightforward. Track the cooked weight for precision.

Dried broad beans contain 6.7mg iron per 100g (37% DV) — comparable to the iron in 100g of beef (2.6mg heme) but with significantly different bioavailability. Cooked broad beans provide 1.5mg iron per 100g (8% DV), so one cup cooked (170g) delivers approximately 2.6mg iron ^[1][2].

The copper content is particularly notable: dried broad beans have 0.82mg copper per 100g (92% DV), and cooked beans retain 0.26mg per 100g (29% DV). Copper supports iron utilization in the body, making broad beans a dual-mineral source. Most legumes have 0.3–0.5mg copper per 100g dried — broad beans significantly exceed this range.

For food journaling, the iron from broad beans is non-heme (plant-based) and its utilization varies by individual and meal composition. Pairing broad beans with vitamin C sources (tomatoes, peppers, lemon) supports better iron utilization. The simultaneous copper contribution is a notable advantage over other legumes.

Cooked broad beans have 110 kcal per 100g — placing them between cooked lentils (116 kcal) and cooked chickpeas (164 kcal). The protein-per-calorie efficiency is notable: 6.9g protein per 100 calories — comparable to cooked chicken breast (8.4g per 100 kcal) and significantly higher than cooked rice (1.3g per 100 kcal) ^[2].

One cup of cooked broad beans (170g) provides 187 kcal — a moderate, highly nutritious addition to any meal. This calorie count includes 12.9g protein, 9.2g fiber, and 177mcg folate. Few foods deliver this combination of macronutrients and micronutrients at under 200 calories per cup.

For food journaling, broad beans are a high-efficiency food: more nutrition per calorie than most alternatives. If tracking protein-per-calorie or fiber-per-calorie, broad beans rank among the top plant-based options. The 110 kcal/100g figure is consistent across boiling, pressure cooking, and stewing methods.