Black beans and rice calories come to 272 for 1 cup (170 g) made with white rice, or 160 per 100 g. The number to notice is the portion. The dish is dense, so a generous bowl of three cups lands at 816 calories before anything goes on top.
272kcal
1 cup · 170 g, with white rice
15%protein
10.2 gProtein
42 gCarbs
7.3 gFat
How to burn off 272 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
With white rice · per 170 g
Calories
272 kcal
Protein
10.2 g
Carbohydrate
42 g
Fat
7.3 g
Saturated fat
1.1 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
388 mg
Potassium
360 mg
Iron
2.8 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified October 2026. How we verify our data →
Black beans and rice: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 cup (170 g)
272
10.2 g
41.5 g
7.3 g
388 mg
14%
Brown rice, 1 cup (170 g)
269
10 g
40 g
7.9 g
359 mg
13%
100 g
160
6 g
24.4 g
4.3 g
228 mg
8%
3 × 1 cup (170 g)
816
30.7 g
1,163 mg
5 × 1 cup (170 g)
1,360
51.1 g
1,938 mg
One cup is 272 calories, three cups is 816
The standard serving is 1 cup, which weighs 170 g and carries 272 calories, 10.2 g of protein and 41.5 g of carbs. That is 14% of the daily value for calories, a fair size for a side dish or a light lunch.
The trouble is that few people stop at one cup. Two cups, a normal dinner plate, come to 544 calories and 20.4 g of protein. Three cups, about what a generous burrito bowl or takeout container holds, reach 816 calories. Five cups is closer to a batch than a serving and totals 1,360 calories.
Because the dish is mostly beans and grains, it does not look calorie-dense, and that is exactly why portions drift. If you track intake, weigh the first few servings: 100 g is 160 calories, so a kitchen scale turns guesswork into quick math. BodyPal can also log a bowl from a photo when weighing is not practical.
Carbs supply 61% of the calories
The calorie split is 61% carbohydrate, 24% fat and 15% protein. Per 100 g that works out to 24.4 g of carbs, 4.3 g of fat and 6 g of protein. This is a starch-forward dish, and the rice and beans together do most of that work.
Fat is the most variable part. The 4.3 g per 100 g reflects the USDA recipe, and a cook who is heavy with oil will push it up. Saturated fat stays low at 0.6 g per 100 g, cholesterol is 0 in this meat-free version, and sugar is almost absent at 0.2 g per 100 g.
Protein is respectable for a plant dish. One cup gives 10.2 g, which is 20% of the daily value, and two cups give 20.4 g. It is not a high-protein meal on its own, but it is a solid base to build on.
Fiber is the strength, sodium is the row to watch
Each cup brings 8.5 g of fiber, and 100 g has 5 g. That is a lot for a rice dish, and the beans supply it. Fiber together with 10.2 g of protein is a big part of why a cup holds you longer than its 272 calories suggest.
Sodium deserves a closer look. One cup has 388 mg, or 17% of the daily value. That seems modest until portions grow: two cups carry 775 mg, three cups 1,163 mg and five cups 1,938 mg. A large bowl can eat up most of a day's sodium budget on its own.
If you watch sodium, cooking from dry or rinsed beans and salting to taste puts you in control of that number. Boxed mixes such as Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Black Beans Rice with Cilantro Lime come with their own seasoning, so check the label. Potassium sits at 212 mg per 100 g.
Brown rice barely changes the calories
Swapping white rice for brown makes less difference than most people expect. A cup made with brown rice has 269 calories against 272 for white, with 10 g of protein versus 10.2 g. On a calorie log, the two are interchangeable.
The brown version edges ahead on fiber at 9 g per cup versus 8.5 g, and it carries a little less sodium, 359 mg against 388 mg. Fat goes slightly up, 7.9 g versus 7.3 g. Choose brown rice for its nutty taste, chewier texture or the small fiber gain, not for calorie savings.
Either way, the dish works as a full plate. Add vegetables, salsa or a lean protein if you want more protein per calorie, and measure rich toppings like cheese, sour cream or avocado, because they can add up faster than the bowl itself.
How does black beans and rice compare?
Here is how black beans and rice stacks up against red beans and rice, lentils and rice, and chicken and rice, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: If you want the fewest calories per bite, chicken and rice at 149 and lentils and rice at 150 per 100 g edge out black beans and rice at 160, and lentils and rice also has the least sodium at 189 mg. Red beans and rice is practically a tie at 269 calories per cup, so pick between the two bean dishes on taste, and choose black beans and rice when you want a meat-free bowl that keeps you full.
Most popular black beans and rice brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Black Beans Rice with Cilantro Lime1 cup · 140 g157 kcal
How many calories are in a cup of black beans and rice?
A cup (170 g) of black beans and white rice has about 272 calories. Made with brown rice, the same cup has 269.
Is black beans and rice good for weight loss?
A cup has 272 calories with 10.2 g of protein and 8.5 g of fiber. Per 100 g it has 4.3 g of fat.
Black beans and rice vs red beans and rice: which has fewer calories?
They are almost the same: 160 calories per 100 g for black beans and rice and 158 for red beans and rice.
How many carbs are in black beans and rice?
A cup (170 g) has 41.5 g of carbs, including 8.5 g of fiber. Per 100 g that is 24.4 g of carbs.
How many calories are in 100 g of black beans and rice?
100 g of black beans and rice has 160 calories, with 6 g of protein, 24.4 g of carbs and 4.3 g of fat. That is 8% of the daily value for calories.
How many calories are in two cups of black beans and rice?
Two cups (340 g) of black beans and rice come to 544 calories, with 20.4 g of protein and 775 mg of sodium. Three cups reach 816 calories.
How much protein is in black beans and rice?
One cup has 10.2 g of protein, 20% of the daily value, and 100 g has 6 g. Protein supplies 15% of the dish's calories, while carbs supply 61%.
Does black beans and rice with brown rice have fewer calories?
Barely. A cup made with brown rice has 269 calories versus 272 with white rice. The brown version has a bit more fiber, 9 g against 8.5 g, and 359 mg of sodium instead of 388 mg.
How much sodium is in black beans and rice?
One cup contains 388 mg of sodium, 17% of the daily value, and 100 g has 228 mg. Two cups bring 775 mg, so sodium climbs quickly with larger bowls.
