Anasazi Beans Nutritional Value | Pantry Power Trio

Nutrition Q & A / By

Anasazi bean nutrition per ½ cup cooked is about 120 calories with 7–8 g protein and 7–8 g fiber, plus minerals like iron and potassium.

Anasazi Bean Nutrition Facts With Cooked Serving

Sweet, nutty, and quick to cook, this heirloom bean earns a spot in busy kitchens. It delivers steady energy from complex carbs, sturdy plant protein, and hearty fiber in a tidy portion. You also pick up iron, potassium, magnesium, and a splash of folate. The ranges below use cooked pinto as a stand-in where needed because variety-specific lab data are scarce in public databases; in practice, the values line up closely.

Nutrient Per ½ Cup Cooked Notes
Calories ~120 kcal Cooked values cluster in this band
Protein ~7–8 g Pairs well with grains for balance
Carbohydrate ~21–23 g Mostly slow-digesting starch
Dietary Fiber ~7–8 g Two half-cups land near a day’s target
Fat ~0.5–1 g Low by nature
Folate (B9) ~135 mcg Helpful during growth
Iron ~1.8–2.0 mg Absorb better with vitamin C foods
Magnesium ~40–45 mg Part of energy metabolism
Potassium ~430–450 mg Balances salty dishes
Sodium ~0–5 mg From cooking water only

For raw numbers, USDA’s FoodData Central and the cooked pinto panel at MyFoodData lay out full macro and micronutrient details with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

What Sets This Heirloom Bean Apart

The gentle sweetness and shorter simmer time stand out. Many cooks report tender skins and a creamy center in about an hour after a soak, which makes it friendly for weeknights. The maroon-and-white pattern turns rose as it cooks, so the pot looks homey and it pairs well with chiles, tomatoes, and roasted squash.

Lab work has also checked compounds that can block absorption if raw. A comparison found lower condensed tannins than pinto along with differences in lectin activity; standard soaking and boiling bring those factors down to the cooked-bean baseline seen across pantry staples (see the PubMed-indexed report on antinutritional factors and the open-access review on oligosaccharides and gas in beans).

Serving Sizes, Weights, And Real-World Portions

Labels can be confusing because some list “¼ cup dry” while you eat them cooked. A simple rule helps: ¼ cup dry makes about ½ cup cooked. For a hearty bowl, many folks use 1 cup cooked per person as a main, or ½ cup cooked as a side.

Cooked Yields You Can Trust

Plan on three cups cooked per cup of dry beans. That ratio tracks well across pinto, black, cranberry, and this heirloom, with only small shifts tied to crop age and technique.

How To Prep For The Best Texture

Soak the dry beans in cool water until they plump, drain, then simmer in fresh water. Hold salt and acids until the skins are tender. Aromatics like onion, garlic, bay leaf, and a small piece of kombu add flavor without masking the natural sweetness. If you open a can, drain and rinse to remove extra starch and surface sodium.

Anasazi Bean Nutrition Breakdown For Everyday Cooking

Home cooks often ask if this variety differs wildly from pantry staples like pinto or black. The big picture says they live in the same neighborhood. You’ll see the same calorie band, the same fiber hit, and comparable micros. That means any recipe that leans on a common bean will welcome this swap with minimal tweaks.

Minerals And Vitamins You Actually Get

Iron sits near 2 mg per ½ cup cooked, with magnesium near 40 mg and potassium near 440 mg. Folate lands around 135 mcg per ½ cup. These figures come from cooked pinto and mirror the values you’ll see when you simmer a pot at home. Pair with citrus salsa or tomato-heavy sides to help your body absorb non-heme iron.

Gas, Oligosaccharides, And What Cooking Changes

Those bean sugars—raffinose and stachyose—are natural prebiotics. Your gut microbes feast on them, and gas can show up while they work. Soaking, discarding the soak water, and boiling until tender lower these sugars. Pressure-cooking does the same. Research explains that human enzymes don’t break these down; microbes finish the job, which explains the burbles.

Cook Steps That Help Digestion

  • Soak 8–12 hours; discard soak water.
  • Simmer gently until skins are tender.
  • Cool and store; reheating keeps texture creamy.

Ways To Use A Cooked Batch

Quick Ideas That Hit The Marks

  • Warm salad with roasted sweet potato, charred corn, and lime.
  • Chile-spiked pot beans with masa dumplings.
  • Refried spread with olive oil, garlic, and a splash of broth.
  • Brothy soup with greens and a squeeze of lemon.
  • Bean-and-grain bowls topped with salsa, seeds, and avocado.

Mineral Snapshot By Serving Size

Use this second table when you plan a day of meals. The numbers keep you honest about iron, magnesium, and potassium per ½ cup cooked, using cooked pinto as the benchmark since public lab panels for this exact heirloom are limited.

Mineral Per ½ Cup Cooked Why It Matters
Iron ~1.8–2.0 mg Moves oxygen; add citrus
Magnesium ~40–45 mg Part of many enzymes
Potassium ~430–450 mg Balances salty dishes
Folate ~135 mcg Needed for new cells
Calcium ~40–50 mg Small boost alongside greens
Zinc ~1.0–1.3 mg Works in many reactions

Label Reading, Canned Swaps, And Sodium

If you’re shopping canned beans, scan the panel for “no salt added” or “low sodium.” Draining and rinsing trims surface salt. Season the final dish lightly, then taste. The natural sweetness of this heirloom bean shows through without heavy salting.

How We Sourced The Numbers

Macros and minerals reference cooked pinto values from MyFoodData’s half-cup view and the full cup panel linked above, both based on USDA analyses. For digestibility and tannin notes, see the PubMed-indexed comparison of antinutritional factors in this heirloom and pinto beans and the open-access review on bean oligosaccharides and flatulence. These sources align with what you’ll taste at the table.

Final Tips That Make A Difference

  • Soak in plenty of water; drain before boiling.
  • Hold acidic ingredients until tender, then season.
  • Batch-cook and chill; reheat with a splash of broth.
  • Pair with rice, corn tortillas, or quinoa for a full amino mix.
  • Add citrus or tomato to boost iron uptake.

Want more detail on bean nutrition? Browse the cooked pinto profile at MyFoodData or scan USDA’s FoodData Central for legume context.