Are Beans Keto Friendly?

Answer: All bean varieties are too carb-heavy for keto with the exception of black soy beans.

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Beans

Beans are a heartbreaker for keto eaters. They seem like they should be keto-friendly, as they're high in protein. Sadly, they're also packed with carbs. Most beans have between 11 and 15 g of net carbs in each half-cup serving, which is far too high for a side dish. If you tried to eat a whole meal of beans, you'd kick yourself out of ketosis in no time.

Fortunately, there is one standout in the stark bean world. Black soy beans break all the bean norms and provide a compelling set of macros. Cooked or canned, they have only 1 g of net carbs per half-cup serving. And if that weren't enough, they have 11 g of protein and 6 g of fat.

For the rest of the bean kingdom, the numbers aren't so pretty. Here are how some a 1/2 cup serving of common bean varieties stack up against black soy beans:

Variety Net Carbs Protein Fat
Black Soy Beans 1 g 11 g 6 g
Black Beans 11 g 8 g 0 g
Cannelini Beans 11 g 6 g 0 g
Lima Beans 12 g 6 g 0 g
Kidney Beans (Dark Red) 12 g 8 g 0 g
Garbanzo Beans 14 g 6 g 2 g

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