Pinto beans calories come to 245 for 1 cup (171 g) of cooked, unsalted beans, and 143 per 100 g. Fiber is what stands out. That same cup carries 15.4 g fiber and 15.4 g protein, with just 1.1 g fat and 2 mg sodium. Few starchy sides give you that much for the calories.
245kcal
1 cup · 171 g, cooked, unsalted
25%protein
15.4 gProtein
45 gCarbs
1.1 gFat
How to burn off 245 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Cooked, unsalted · per 171 g
Calories
245 kcal
Protein
15.4 g
Carbohydrate
45 g
Fat
1.1 g
Saturated fat
0.2 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
2 mg
Potassium
746 mg
Iron
3.6 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 September 2026. How we verify our data →
Pinto beans: 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 (171 g)
245
15.4 g
44.8 g
1.1 g
2 mg
12%
Half cup (85 g)
122
7.7 g
22.3 g
0.6 g
1 mg
6%
100 g
143
9 g
26.2 g
0.7 g
1 mg
7%
3 × 1 cup (171 g)
734
46.2 g
5 mg
5 × 1 cup (171 g)
1,223
77 g
9 mg
A half cup is 122 calories, a full cup 245
A half cup (85 g) of cooked pinto beans holds 122 calories, 7.7 g protein and 7.7 g fiber. That is a typical side scoop next to tacos or eggs, and it covers 6% of the daily calorie value. A full cup (171 g) doubles it to 245 calories and 15.4 g protein, which is 31% of the protein daily value.
Beans scale in a straight line, so the total moves only with the ladle. Two cups (342 g) reach 489 calories and 30.8 g protein. Three cups (513 g) land at 734 calories. A big pot portion of 5 cups, 855 g, comes to 1,223 calories and 77 g protein, a number that only matters if you are eating straight from a batch of chili.
The simplest way to keep the count honest is to measure cooked beans once and remember what your usual spoon holds. A heaping serving spoon often carries more than a half cup. The gap between 122 and 245 calories is just one extra scoop, and it adds up quickly over a week of bean bowls.
Carbs supply 71% of the calories, protein 25%
Per 100 g, cooked pinto beans carry 26.2 g carbs, 9 g protein and 0.7 g fat. In calorie terms that splits into 71% carbs, 25% protein and only 4% fat. Fat barely registers: 0.1 g saturated fat per 100 g and 0 mg cholesterol.
The carbs are not the sugary kind. Sugars sit at 0.3 g per 100 g, and 9 g of the 26.2 g carbs is fiber, roughly a third. So while a cup reads 44.8 g carbs on the label, a large slice of that is fiber rather than starch or sugar. That fiber share is what sets beans apart from most starchy sides like rice or pasta.
Protein at 25% of calories is a solid share for a plant food, but it is not a lean-meat profile. To get 30.8 g protein from pinto beans alone you eat 2 cups and 489 calories. Beans work best as one protein source on the plate rather than the only one, paired with eggs, chicken, cheese or yogurt if protein is your priority.
Fiber is the row to watch, for good reasons
A cup of pinto beans delivers 15.4 g fiber against a daily value of 28 g, more than half the day's target in one serving. Even the half cup brings 7.7 g. Per calorie, few common side dishes come close, which is a big part of why a bowl of beans feels like a real meal.
If you are not used to that much fiber, the half cup is the gentler starting point. Jumping to a two-cup bowl doubles the fiber along with the calories, and some people notice the change. Building up over a few weeks is the comfortable route.
Sodium is the other surprise. Plain boiled beans cooked without salt contain 1 mg per 100 g and 2 mg per cup, 0% of the 2300 mg daily value. Canned and refried versions are a different story because salt is usually added, so check the label on brands like Goya, La Sierra or Good & Gather. The numbers here describe beans you cook yourself, which also bring 436 mg potassium per 100 g.
The beans are lean, the toppings are not
Because pinto beans are nearly fat-free, the calories on the plate usually come from what goes with them. Shredded cheese, sour cream, lard in refried beans and fried tortilla chips can easily outweigh the 245 calories in a cup of beans. If the total surprises you, look at the toppings first.
Good pairings keep the beans in charge: rice and salsa for a classic bowl, scrambled eggs at breakfast, grilled chicken in a burrito, or a half cup stirred into soup or a green salad. At 122 calories, that half cup adds bulk and fiber without crowding out the rest of the meal.
If you track, log the beans and the extras separately so you can see which part moves the number. BodyPal can log the food from a photo, which helps when beans are buried under cheese and salsa.
How does pinto beans compare?
Here is how pinto beans stack up against black beans, almonds and pumpkin seeds, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For weight loss, pinto beans and black beans win easily at 143 and 132 calories per 100 g, while almonds at 598 and pumpkin seeds at 574 are about 4.2 and 4 times denser. If you want the most protein per bite, pumpkin seeds lead with 29.8 g per 100 g, but a 1 oz (28 g) handful already costs 161 calories.
Most popular pinto beans brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Goya Traditional Refried Pinto Beans1/2 cup · 128 g86 kcal
7La Sierra Refried Pinto Beans1/2 cup · 113 g106 kcal
Canned and refried beans are packed with liquid, so their labels read lower per 100 g than beans boiled from dry. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Pinto beans FAQs
How many calories are in a cup of pinto beans?
One cup of cooked pinto beans (171 g) is 245 calories, with 15.4 g protein and 1.1 g fat.
Are pinto beans good for weight loss?
A cup is 245 calories with 15.4 g of fiber and only 1.1 g of fat. Half a cup keeps it to 122 calories.
How much protein is in pinto beans?
Cooked pinto beans have 9 g of protein per 100 g, so a cup (171 g) gives 15.4 g. Dry beans are 21.4 g per 100 g before cooking.
How many calories are in canned pinto beans?
US canned and refried pinto bean labels run about 77 to 108 calories per 100 g, below the 143 calories of beans boiled from dry, because canned beans carry more liquid.
How many calories are in half a cup of pinto beans?
A half cup (85 g) of cooked, unsalted pinto beans has 122 calories. It also brings 7.7 g protein, 7.7 g fiber and only 0.6 g fat, which makes it an easy side portion to count.
How much fiber is in pinto beans?
A cup of cooked pinto beans has 15.4 g fiber, and 100 g has 9 g. Against the 28 g daily value, one cup covers more than half of the day's fiber.
Are pinto beans lower in calories than black beans?
No, they are slightly higher. Pinto beans have 143 calories per 100 g versus 132 for black beans, and a cup is 245 versus 227. Protein is nearly identical at 9 g and 8.9 g per 100 g.
Do pinto beans have much sodium?
Not when cooked without salt: 1 mg per 100 g and 2 mg per cup, which is 0% of the daily value. Canned and refried versions usually add salt, so read the label.
How many carbs are in a cup of pinto beans?
A cup (171 g) of cooked pinto beans has 44.8 g carbs, of which 15.4 g is fiber and 0.6 g is sugar. Carbs make up 71% of the calories.
