The Magic of Canned Beans
Canned beans don’t always get the spotlight, but they should. They’re affordable, insanely versatile, and packed with plant-powered protein.
Whether you’re building a chili, tossing a salad, or need a fast, filling meal, canned beans are the underrated MVPs of many kitchens.
Let’s give them the love they deserve and discuss why you should have them in your pantry.
1. Canned beans offer unbeatable convenience.
They’re fully cooked and ready to eat straight from the can.
Whether you need to add them to salads, soups, or wraps, they require no additional steps like soaking or boiling, which makes them an easy choice for quick meals.
I admit that I tend to warm up canned beans before eating them. Ensure they are warmed in a microwave-safe container because aluminum cans can be flammable.
2. Canned beans are a time-saver, especially during meal prep.
On one hand, dried beans require soaking, often overnight, and then hours of cooking. With canned beans, you skip these lengthy steps entirely. They can go from can to plate in minutes, allowing you to assemble balanced, nutrient-dense meals even on the busiest days.
I tend to meal prep on one of my days off each week. It's hard enough to make time to create food for the whole week. It usually takes me 3-5 hours to make a week's worth of food for myself. With canned beans, I have more time to spend with my family and friends and to do other chores in my spare time.
3. Canned beans are a consistently reliable option.
Cooking dried beans can be tricky as they require just the right amount of soaking, water, and heat for the perfect texture. No matter how often I cook the same type of bean, I never get the same result. Yet again, I'm not very experienced in cooking dried beans.
Canned beans, on the other hand, are pre-cooked and packed at a consistent texture, making them reliable for recipes.
You’re less likely to have too hard, mushy, or unevenly cooked beans.
The catch is that they must be added to a dish when it is almost finished. Since they are already cooked, they can get mushy if added to a dish too soon.
4. Canned beans offer an extended shelf life.
Technically, dried beans are also shelf-stable but require careful storage to avoid moisture and pests. I tend to put dried beans in Mason jars, but I usually discard them after six months to be on the safe side.
On the contrary, canned beans are sealed and protected from air. That can last 2-5 years in your pantry without extra precautions.
They’re ideal for stockpiling and remain fresh without additional storage maintenance.
5. There’s a wide variety of canned bean options available.
You can easily find many canned beans in the store, such as black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, cannellini, pinto, and even mixed bean varieties.
This makes it easy to diversify your diet and try different flavors and textures in your meals without extra time preparing each type of bean from scratch.
Some dishes I like to make with canned beans are roasted chickpeas, minestrone with cannellini and kidney beans, and beans and rice with black beans.
6. Canned beans are readily accessible everywhere.
Canned beans are widely available in grocery stores, allowing for quick and easy access to different types of beans.
In other words, it is easy to buy canned beans without visiting a specialty store or planning for cooking time.
Also, you'll sometimes find canned beans at gas stations that sell groceries, like Kwik Star.
7. Canned beans are offered in seasoned varieties.
Many brands offer canned beans seasoned with popular flavors like chili, lime, or herbs.
These options mean you don’t need to add as many spices or seasonings, saving time and making it easier to enjoy flavorful meals with minimal prep.
For instance, seasoned chili beans can add a robust flavor to a stew or soup, while black beans with lime are great in tacos or rice bowls.
One con to seasoned beans is that they are not all vegetarian and vegan. For example, regular refried beans often contain lard, also known as animal fat. To follow a vegetarian diet and a vegan lifestyle, choose vegetarian or certified vegan refried beans to ensure they do not contain lard.
Another example is that some varieties of baked beans contain bacon. Even though it's not stated in the flavor, check the ingredients before buying, because bacon tends to be listed towards the end of the ingredient list.
8. Canned beans are offered in reasonable portion sizes.
Canned beans allow you to use just the amount you need and save the rest for later, making it easy to add beans in small amounts to dishes without dealing with leftovers that require long cooking processes.
You can also store any remaining beans in the fridge for a few days, reducing food waste and making it easier to prepare quick meals later in the week.
For example, store extra beans in containers and put them in the fridge. Then, they can be put on nachos, tacos, and burritos later.
9. Canned beans don't need specialized kitchen equipment.
Dried beans often require larger kitchen tools like a pot, pressure cooker, or slow cooker to speed up the cooking process.
Canned beans need only a can opener, and you’re ready to go, making them ideal for kitchens with limited equipment, small spaces, or those who prefer low-maintenance cooking.
When meal prepping, I like the ability to rinse canned beans, especially when occasionally stirring onions and garlic on the stovetop.
10. Canned beans are an excellent pantry staple for emergencies.
Canned beans are a staple in emergency preparedness because they’re nutrient-rich, don’t require cooking, and can be eaten cold if necessary.
They’re perfect for power outages, camping trips, or emergency kits. Unlike dried beans, which require water and heat to prepare, canned beans are ready for immediate consumption.
Canned beans with pop-top lids are perfect donations for outdoor food pantries because many homeless individuals lack access to a microwave or stovetop, which many take for granted.
Also, in 2020, Covid-19 exemplified an unpredictable emergency that would benefit from storing extra pantry food, including canned beans. Hopefully, we won't have any more shutdowns or temporary closures due to another disease outbreak. Still, it would be worthwhile to be prepared in case something like this happens again in our lifetime.
Lastly, many talk about what we would do in a zombie apocalypse. Note that this is statistically improbable to happen due to zombies not existing in the real world, but on the off chance they were real, it would be better to keep canned beans and other pantry supplies on hand because by the time that people are desperate enough to break into closed grocery stores and pharmacies for supplies, it will be too late to get any proper food to survive a zombie apocolypse.
Buy Canned Beans Today
In short, canned beans offer convenience, time efficiency, and versatility, making them a pantry essential for any household.
They’re ideal for quick meals, reliable in texture and taste, and accessible for any kitchen setup—qualities make them a valuable option over dried beans in many situations.
- Convenience
- Save Time
- Consistency
- Shelf Life
- Variety
- Availability
- Seasoned
- Portions
- Simple Prep
- Just in Case
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Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden
Megan McFadden