Refried Beans Calories

In the U.S., usually, pinto beans are used to make refried beans. This dish is a part of traditional Mexican food. In Mexico, you will find refried beans made with black or red beans too. This staple of Mexican cuisine has now become an invariable part of Tex-Mex cuisine. Let us first see how the dish is made. Making refried pinto beans at home is very easy.

How to Make Refried Beans
You may cook the raw pinto beans in a slow pressure cooker (for about 8 hours) after adding all necessary ingredients like onion, garlic and spices like jalapeno pepper, ground cumin, salt, etc. When cooked, mash the beans with a potato masher and add the drained water or chicken/vegetable stock to get the required consistency. You may soak the beans overnight and then cook them quickly. Soaking beans helps cut down the time required for cooking the beans. You can add lard or vegetable oil, salt and spices to the paste of mashed beans and then bake the paste. You can garnish the dish with cheese if you want.

Refried Beans Calories
Calories in refried beans mainly depend upon pinto beans calories and the calories in ingredients used.

Description	Quantity	Approximate Calories
Canned refried beans	1 cup (252 g)	237
Vegetarian refried beans by Old El Paso	1/2 cup (118g)	100
Spicy fat-free refried beans by Seneca	1/2 cup (130 g)	120
Fat-free refried beans by Seneca	1/2 cup (130g)	120
Refried beans in a restaurant	1 serving	230-290
Homemade refried beans	3/4th cup (1 serving)	135

Canned Refried Beans Nutrition Facts
1 cup or 238g canned refried beans contain:

Nutrient	Quantity
Calories	217
Total carbohydrates	36 g
Saturated fat	1 g
Total fat	3 g
Cholesterol	0
Sodium	1069 mg
Protein	13 g
Vitamin A	0%
Vitamin C	24%
Calcium	8%
Iron	22%
Sugars	1 g
Dietary Fiber	12 g

Though the beans contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and though they are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, they should be consumed in limited quantity as they are high in sodium. High quantity of sodium in any food can prove to be harmful for your body. You can reduce the quantity of sodium and number of calories, in homemade refried beans. By excluding high fat items like cheese, lard, etc. you can reduce the number of calories in homemade beans. Vegetarians can get enough protein from the beans. When you eat refried beans with corn tortilla, you tend to consume excessive calories. Similarly, if you eat beans with fries, with added cheese and the guacamole, then you need to check the calorie count. This way, you might consume more than 1000 calories at a time! Thus, consumption of refried beans can result in weight gain.

If you are conscious about the nutrition facts of the dish, you can avoid cheese or guacamole while making healthy refried beans. Similarly, you can select whole wheat or corn tortillas instead of deep-fried tortillas which you get in restaurants. Along with homemade beans, you can fill the tortillas with healthy items like carrots, onions, salsa, lettuce and tomatoes. You can make burritos at home. By reducing refried beans calories and by adding some more healthy food items, you can make the dish colorful, healthy and attractive.