Kidney beans, red (boiled, cooked)
Never eat them undercooked from dry: raw kidney beans contain a toxic lectin.
1 Amount
How it fits your macros
Get your daily targets with the macro calculator to see what share of your day this portion covers.
Kidney beans, red for gym-goers
Per 100 g, kidney beans, red (boiled, cooked) provides 127 kcal, 8.7 g protein, 22.8 g carbohydrate (6.4 g fiber, 0.3 g sugars) and 0.5 g fat (0.1 g saturated). With 6.9 g of protein per 100 kcal, it adds a useful amount of protein on top of its other nutrients.
A typical serving (1 cup cooked, about 177 g) comes to roughly 225 kcal and 15.4 g protein.
These are typical averages. Brand, variety, ripeness and cooking method all shift the numbers, so weigh food in the same state (raw or cooked) as the entry you log.
About Kidney beans, red
Red kidney beans are large and kidney-shaped, with a firm skin and creamy center; this entry describes them boiled until fully cooked. Nutritionally they're close to black beans, with a bit more potassium and iron, around 8.7 g of protein per 100 g and a low glycemic index.
In a gym diet
In chili, curries and stews, kidney beans are a reliable carb-plus-protein side, and they hold up well in batch-cooked meal prep. Their protein is incomplete alone, so serve them with rice, bread or another grain to cover methionine. They're filling and low in fat for a cut, while a big bowl of chili with rice makes an easy surplus on a bulk. The fiber may slow digestion, so a large portion right before training usually isn't a good idea.
Preparation and cooking
Soak dried kidney beans for at least five hours and pour off the soaking water. Then boil them hard for at least 10 minutes before simmering until tender, usually an hour or more. A slow cooker on low may never get hot enough to destroy the lectin, so pre-boil before slow cooking. Canned kidney beans are already safely cooked; rinse them to reduce sodium.
Buying and storage
Pick cans with no added salt or sugar, and check that dried beans are whole, not cracked. Dried beans keep up to a year airtight; cooked beans, up to four days in the fridge.
Things to watch
Raw or undercooked kidney beans contain phytohemagglutinin, a lectin that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea within hours, which is why food-safety agencies advise boiling them thoroughly. They can also cause gas, like other beans, and are high in FODMAPs.
Meal ideas
- Beef or turkey chili with kidney beans, tomatoes, peppers and cumin over rice.
- Rajma curry with kidney beans, onion, ginger and garam masala, served with basmati.
- Three-bean salad with kidney beans, chickpeas, green beans and a mustard vinaigrette.
Nutrient highlights
Good source (10–19% DV per 100 g): Iron (16%) and Magnesium (11%).
How it ranks among 16 Plant Protein
| Protein per 100 kcal | 6.9 g | #12 of 16 |
| Protein per 100 g | 8.7 g | #12 of 16 |
| Fiber per 100 g | 6.4 g | #8 of 16 |
| Lowest calories per 100 g | 127 kcal | #6 of 16 |
Ranked within this category of the gym.diet food database (1 = best for that measure).
Similar foods
Black beans (boiled, cooked)
132 kcal · P 8.9 · C 23.7 · F 0.5
→Split peas (boiled, cooked)
118 kcal · P 8.3 · C 21.1 · F 0.4
→Pinto beans (boiled, cooked)
143 kcal · P 9 · C 26.2 · F 0.7
→Lentils (boiled, cooked)
116 kcal · P 9 · C 20.1 · F 0.4
→Navy beans (boiled, cooked)
140 kcal · P 8.2 · C 26.1 · F 0.6
→Chickpeas / garbanzo beans (boiled, cooked)
164 kcal · P 8.9 · C 27.4 · F 2.6
Compare Kidney beans, red with Black beans (boiled, cooked) →
Source
Approximate per-100 g values compiled from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy / Foundation Foods), rounded. Daily Values are the U.S. FDA reference amounts for adults (2,000 kcal diet).
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in kidney beans, red?
Kidney beans, red (boiled, cooked) has about 127 kcal per 100 g, or roughly 225 kcal per 1 cup cooked (177 g).
How much protein is in kidney beans, red?
About 8.7 g of protein per 100 g and 15.4 g per 1 cup cooked. That works out to 6.9 g per 100 kcal, so it's a moderate protein source.
Is kidney beans, red good for cutting or bulking?
It works in either phase. What matters is how it fits into your total calories and protein for the day.
Why are undercooked kidney beans dangerous?
Raw kidney beans are high in a lectin called phytohemagglutinin, which can cause intense nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Soaking and then boiling hard for at least 10 minutes destroys it. Canned kidney beans are pre-cooked and safe.
Can I cook dried kidney beans in a slow cooker?
Only after soaking them and boiling them hard for at least 10 minutes. On low, a slow cooker may not get hot enough to break down the toxic lectin, and gentle warming can even make it more active. Once they've been pre-boiled, finishing them in the slow cooker is fine.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. Values approximate.