Butter Bean Protein Per 100G | The Numbers That Matter

Most cooked butter beans land near 6–7 g of protein per 100 g, and drained canned beans often sit in that same range.

Butter beans (often sold as large lima beans) look straightforward until you try to pin down one clean protein number. One can reads 6.9 g per 100 g. Another says 5.9 g. A food composition database lists 6.4 g for boiled, drained beans. These differences usually come down to moisture, draining rules, and the exact bean form being measured.

Below, you’ll see what “per 100 g” means on a plate, what shifts the number, and how to use it for meal planning without guesswork.

What 100 Grams Of Butter Beans Looks Like

One hundred grams is a weight, not a volume. With beans, a “cup” can swing a lot based on how tightly you scoop and how much liquid clings to the beans.

If you have a kitchen scale, use it. If you don’t, treat 100 g of drained, cooked butter beans as a modest scoop, closer to a small side than a full bowl.

Drain, Then Weigh For Canned Beans

Many can labels list values “as sold” or “drained.” Liquid adds weight but brings almost no protein. If you want protein per 100 g of beans you’ll eat, drain first, rest the beans in a colander for 30–60 seconds, then weigh.

Butter Bean Protein Per 100G In Cooked Vs Canned Form

Cooking doesn’t remove protein from beans. It changes concentration. Dried beans are dense. Cooked beans absorb water and swell, so each 100 g of cooked beans contains more water and less dry matter than 100 g of dried beans. That pushes the protein number down on a “per 100 g” basis.

An official listing in the Australian Food Composition Database shows boiled, drained lima beans at 6.4 g protein per 100 g. You can verify the entry on Food Standards Australia New Zealand’s boiled lima bean record.

Canned butter beans often land in a similar band, but the number can move due to brine strength, bean size, and how “drained” is defined on the label. For many drained canned products, 6–7 g protein per 100 g is a realistic working range.

Why One Label Won’t Match Another

• Water content: A wetter bean weighs more for the same amount of solids.
• Draining rules: “Drained” can mean “poured off” or “fully drained and rinsed.”
• Variety and maturity: Different lots can vary a bit, even under the same name.

Protein Per 100 g Versus Protein Per Portion

Per-100-g numbers compare foods. Portions drive your day. If you eat 150 g of drained beans and your working value is 6.4 g per 100 g, that’s 9.6 g of protein. If you eat 200 g, that’s 12.8 g.

How To Use The Number For Daily Targets

Protein targets vary by person and training load. Many U.S. labels reference a Daily Value of 50 g for protein on a 2,000-calorie pattern, and the FDA explains Daily Value and %DV on its Nutrition Facts Daily Value page.

Butter beans can cover a chunk of a target, yet they’re not a protein concentrate. Most people find meals easier to balance when beans are a base and another protein source joins the plate.

Cooking Choices That Shift “Per 100 g”

Since “per 100 g” is a concentration, steps that change water content shift the number on paper.

Soaking And Boiling

Soaked beans take on water before the pot, then absorb more while boiling. That makes cooked beans heavier. Comparing 100 g cooked to 100 g dried isn’t a fair match.

Eating The Cooking Liquid

Some recipes keep the thickened cooking liquid. Others drain hard and toss it. If you eat the beans with their liquid, the “per 100 g” number drops because the bowl includes more water weight. If you drain and toss, the beans you weigh are more concentrated.

Rinsing Canned Beans

Rinsing mostly changes sodium and surface starch. It doesn’t strip protein from the bean itself. The bigger change is surface water that can nudge a scale right after rinsing.

Nutrition Notes Beyond Protein

Butter beans bring fiber, folate, potassium, and iron while staying low in fat. The trade-off is protein density per bite is lower than foods like meat, fish, eggs, and firm tofu.

If you like comparing pulse data across regions, the FAO/INFOODS pulses database compiles nutrient values per 100 g edible portion. See the FAO/INFOODS uPulses document for definitions and food entries.

Common Label Pitfalls With Butter Beans

Most tracking errors come from mixing two measurement styles: weight-based database entries and volume-based serving habits. A few quick checks can keep you on track.

Don’t Compare Dried And Cooked By Weight

Dried beans can show a high protein number per 100 g, yet no one eats them dry. Once cooked, the same beans weigh much more because of water. If you want accuracy, compare cooked-to-cooked or drained-to-drained.

Watch For “Per Serving” Tricks

Some labels put the serving size in grams, others use “1/2 cup.” If your goal is protein per 100 g, use the grams line. If the serving is a volume, weigh that serving once, then you’ll know what your usual scoop weighs at home.

Rinsed Versus Not Rinsed

Rinsing canned butter beans is a solid move if you’re watching sodium. For protein tracking, it mostly changes surface liquid weight. If you want repeatable numbers, rinse the same way each time, rest the beans, then weigh.

Table: Butter Bean Protein Per 100 g Across Common Forms

Use this table as a “what am I weighing?” map. Values are grams of protein per 100 g of edible food, and the notes tell you what that 100 g represents.

Form You’re Using	Protein (g) Per 100 g	What The 100 g Represents
Boiled lima beans, drained	6.4	Cooked, boiled, drained; official food composition record.
Canned butter beans, drained (many brands)	6–7	Common label range; confirm your can’s nutrition panel.
Canned butter beans, as sold in liquid	Lower than drained	Includes brine weight; protein looks lower per 100 g.
Cooked beans with cooking liquid	Varies	Counts beans plus liquid; depends on how soupy it is.
Frozen baby lima beans, cooked and drained	Often 6–8	Varies by brand and cooking method; check the package.
Dried butter beans, uncooked	Much higher	Dried beans are concentrated; not a ready-to-eat portion.
Mashed butter beans, no added fat	Similar to cooked	Texture changes, not protein; moisture drives the weight.
Butter bean soup, blended	Lower than beans	Soup includes extra water and other ingredients per 100 g.

Portion Math That Feels Natural

Once you know protein per 100 g, the math gets easy. These multipliers cover most meals.

• 50 g: Half of the per-100-g protein.
• 150 g: One-and-a-half times the per-100-g protein.
• 200 g: Double the per-100-g protein.

One real plate: 180 g of drained beans at 6.4 g per 100 g delivers 11.5 g of protein from beans alone. Add a second protein source and you can land in a higher-protein range without changing the bean portion.

Ways To Raise Protein While Keeping Butter Beans Center Stage

Butter beans have a mild taste and a creamy bite, so they pair well with proteins that don’t overpower them.

Beans Plus Grains

Beans and grains are a classic combo. Across the day, the mix helps cover amino acids. The FDA’s protein handout uses rice and beans as an everyday pairing in its Protein: A Closer Look PDF.

Protein Add-Ins That Fit Most Meals

• Eggs: Great with warm beans, greens, and tomatoes.
• Tuna or salmon: Adds protein fast and pairs well with lemon and herbs.
• Chicken: Works in salads, wraps, and rice bowls.
• Tofu: Keeps the meal plant-forward and holds sauces well.

Table: Protein-Focused Meal Builds With Butter Beans

Each idea starts with a weighed portion of drained beans, then adds one protein booster. Adjust amounts to match your appetite.

Base + Bean Amount	Protein Booster	How To Put It Together
Salad + 150 g beans	2 hard-boiled eggs	Toss with cucumbers, olives, and lemon.
Rice bowl + 200 g beans	120 g grilled chicken	Add salsa, chopped greens, and a spoon of yogurt.
Pasta + 150 g beans	Tuna packet	Mix with garlic, parsley, and a splash of pasta water.
Soup + 150 g beans	Tofu cubes	Simmer with carrots, celery, and a light miso broth.
Toast + 120 g mashed beans	Cottage cheese	Spread beans, top with cottage cheese and black pepper.

Shopping And Prep Tips That Keep Your Tracking Clean

Check Whether Values Are “Drained”

If the label states values are for drained beans, you can use protein per 100 g straight away. If it’s “as sold,” drain and weigh, then treat the label as a looser estimate.

Batch Cook By Weight

Cook dried beans, drain, then portion into containers by weight. Freeze flat in bags to save space and thaw fast. This makes your servings consistent across the week.

Seasoning Doesn’t Add Protein

Salt, acids, herbs, and spices can change taste and texture. Your protein total comes from the beans and whatever else you add.

A Practical Takeaway For Most People

If you want one usable number for cooked butter beans, 6.4 g protein per 100 g is a credible baseline from an official food composition record. If you eat canned beans, use your can’s value and drain the beans the same way each time.

From there, the win is simple: weigh your usual portion once, learn what it gives you, then build meals around it.