Canned beans often masquerade as healthy pantry staples, but not all varieties deserve that reputation. Many popular brands pack their beans with alarming amounts of sugar, sodium, and questionable preservatives.
Understanding which canned beans might sabotage your health goals helps you make smarter choices at the grocery store. Before tossing that next can into your cart, consider these twelve bean products that nutritionists frequently flag as problematic.
1. Bush’s Original Baked Beans
Sugar bombs disguised as protein sources! A single serving of Bush’s Original Baked Beans contains approximately 12 grams of sugar – nearly a quarter of your daily recommended limit. The company uses brown sugar, cane sugar, and corn syrup to create that addictively sweet sauce.
Most consumers remain unaware that these beans contain more sugar than many breakfast cereals marketed to children. The sodium content reaches alarming levels too, with about 550mg per serving.
2. Van Camp’s Pork And Beans
Hiding behind nostalgic packaging lurks a nutritional nightmare. Van Camp’s Pork and Beans contain concerning levels of high fructose corn syrup, modified food starch, and an astonishing 480mg of sodium per serving – roughly 20% of your daily recommended intake in just half a cup.
The actual pork content? Minimal at best, often just tiny bits of fatty pork tissue providing little nutritional value while adding saturated fat.
3. B&M Original Baked Beans
Generations have trusted B&M Baked Beans, unaware of their concerning nutritional profile. Each serving delivers a whopping 14 grams of sugar alongside 480mg of sodium – a combination nutritionists warn against for cardiovascular health.
Unlike traditional slow-baked beans prepared from scratch, B&M adds caramel coloring to achieve that distinctive brown appearance. Some research links this additive to potential carcinogenic compounds when consumed regularly.
4. Great Value Baked Beans
Budget-friendly but health-costly describes Walmart’s Great Value Baked Beans perfectly. Laboratory analysis reveals these beans contain approximately 15% less actual bean content by weight compared to premium brands, substituting with thickeners and water.
Corn syrup appears before tomato paste on the ingredient list, indicating alarming sugar quantities. The sodium levels reach 540mg per serving – nearly a quarter of your daily limit.
5. Campbell’s Pork And Beans
Marketing wizardry portrays Campbell’s Pork and Beans as simple comfort food, but scrutiny reveals troubling truths. The primary liquid these beans swim in consists of water, high fructose corn syrup, and salt – creating a sugar-sodium cocktail nutritionists consistently warn against.
Particularly concerning, Campbell’s formula includes modified food starch derived from corn, a common allergen and potential digestive irritant. The minimal pork content provides negligible protein benefit while adding unnecessary saturated fat.
6. Heinz Baked Beans (U.S. Version)
Americans purchasing Heinz Baked Beans face a stark nutritional contrast to their British counterparts. The U.S. formulation contains approximately 40% more sugar and 30% more sodium than identical-looking UK versions – a startling difference rarely discussed.
Food scientists attribute this to American palate preferences, but health implications remain significant regardless of taste justifications. Each serving delivers approximately 9 grams of added sugar – equivalent to more than two teaspoons.
7. Bush’s Maple & Cured Bacon Baked Beans
Flavor complexity masks nutritional simplicity in Bush’s Maple & Cured Bacon variety. Nutritional analysis reveals these beans contain an astounding 15 grams of sugar per serving – more than many candy bars! The artificial bacon flavor derives primarily from smoke extracts and flavor additives rather than substantial meat content.
Particularly troubling, the sodium level reaches approximately 550mg per serving while delivering minimal fiber compared to plain beans. The maple flavoring comes predominantly from artificial compounds rather than real maple syrup.
8. Van Camp’s Hickory Baked Beans
Smoke and mirrors aptly describes Van Camp’s Hickory Baked Beans marketing. Laboratory analysis confirms the distinctive hickory flavor derives almost entirely from artificial smoke flavor and caramel color rather than actual wood-smoking processes.
Sugar appears in multiple forms throughout the ingredient list – molasses, high fructose corn syrup, and refined sugar – creating a triple threat to blood glucose stability. The sodium content reaches approximately 520mg per serving, contributing substantially to daily limits.
9. Trader Joe’s Baked Beans
Health halo effect fully applies to Trader Joe’s Baked Beans. Despite the store’s wellness-oriented reputation, their baked beans contain surprisingly high levels of organic cane sugar and maple syrup – still contributing to the same metabolic concerns as conventional sugars.
Sodium levels reach approximately 490mg per serving, contradicting the perceived healthfulness. The organic tomato paste provides minimal nutritional advantage over conventional varieties while contributing to the high price point.
10. Bush’s Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans
Sweet catastrophe accurately describes Bush’s Brown Sugar Hickory variety. Nutritional analysis reveals these beans contain approximately 16 grams of sugar per serving – equivalent to four teaspoons of pure sugar! This represents one of the highest sugar contents among all major bean products.
Marketing cleverly positions these beans as protein-rich, yet the sugar-to-protein ratio significantly exceeds what nutritionists recommend for balanced nutrition. The sodium content reaches approximately 570mg per serving, creating a concerning sugar-salt combination.
11. Kroger Pork And Beans
Penny-pinching comes with hidden costs in Kroger Pork and Beans. Food scientists note these beans contain among the highest levels of BPA in their can linings compared to premium brands that have transitioned to safer alternatives.
Particularly concerning, these beans contain approximately 30% less actual bean content by weight than the leading national brands, substituting with modified food starch and water. The minimal pork content provides negligible nutritional value while still contributing to saturated fat totals.
12. Clover Valley Pork And Beans (Dollar General)
False economy defines Clover Valley beans perfectly. Consumer testing reveals these budget beans contain approximately 35% less actual bean content by weight compared to national brands, with the difference made up by water and thickeners.
Particularly alarming, laboratory analysis identified these beans as containing among the highest levels of BPA leaching from can linings – likely due to lower-quality packaging materials. The sodium content reaches approximately 560mg per serving despite the watered-down nature.