Green Beans Nutrition Facts

Scientifically known as Phaseolus vulgaris, green beans belong to the same family as pinto beans and kidney beans. They are deep green in color with pointed ends at both the sides and are found throughout the year. Their average length is four inches. They first originated in Peru and later on, were cultivated in south and central America. They are known by different names, such as French beans, snap beans and string beans. They can be served, either chopped or vertically slit.

Nutritional Information
French beans have a high nutritional value. Here are some green beans nutrition facts for both, raw or canned types.

Nutrients	Amounts present in 100 grams
Carbohydrate	9.86 grams
Protein	2.36 grams
Fat	3.15 grams
Dietary Fibers	4 grams
Calories	43.75 kcal

Canned French Beans
One cup of canned beans contain 60 calories. The calorie is broken down to 58% fat, 38% carbohydrates and 9% fats. It contains less amount of cholesterol. They are also good sources of vitamin A and vitamin C. These contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, copper and iron. These are served only when heated. These are used in many delicious dishes, soups and salads. They can be prepared by roasting them in olive oil with garlic and garnish them with red peppers. The table shows their nutrition value.

Canned French Beans Nutrients	Amounts present in half cup
Carbohydrate	4.2 grams
Protein	0.96 grams
Fat	0.12 grams
Dietary Fibers	1.8 grams
Vitamin A	7.7% RDI
Vitamin C	6.8% RDI
Folate	5.5% RDI
Calories	18 kcal

Fresh French Beans
If you are on a low weight diet or planning to lose weight, then you should include them in your diet. The healthiest form of these beans is to boil them, but do not put salt. These can be easily identified by their soft and smooth skin, but free from black or brown spots. One cup has two grams of protein, while fat content is less than one gram. They are a good source of dietary fibers too. These also contain vitamin A and vitamin C. The daily recommendation of vitamin A and vitamin C present is 17% and 20% respectively.

Health Benefits
These are good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. They contain beta carotene, which is found in Vitamin A . Vitamin A, a fat soluble antioxidant, helps control night blindness and other eye problems. Dietary fibers present in them are helpful in controlling the blood sugar levels. If you're suffering from diabetes and hypoglycemia, do incorporate them in your diet. Folic acid and vitamin B6 present in these beans, regulate the levels of homocysteine in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced, as an intermediate product of the metabolic process. Increased concentration of the homocysteine is seen in heart patients. Significant amounts of magnesium, copper, iron, molybdenum, potassium are also found in them. Intake of the individual minerals is essential in our daily diet. Consumption of French beans lowers the risk of colon cancer.

You can grow them at home. Green bean seeds can be soaked for thirty minutes and then, place them six inches down into the soil. Loosely place the soil in such a way as to surround the seeds. Water the sown seeds at seven-day intervals. After ten days, see them growing.