What are the types of white beans? | Camellia Brand (2024)

FAQs

What are different names for white beans? ›

What is a White Bean? Some recipes simply call for “white beans.” This is a general term for great northern beans, navy beans, cannellini beans, and other similar beans.

Cannellini beans are large white beans that have a traditional kidney bean shape. With a slightly nutty taste and mild earthiness, they have a relatively thin skin, with a tender, creamy flesh. They hold their shape well and are one of the best white beans for salads.

White beans are a group of legumes with white casings and starchy insides which include navy beans, cannellini beans, “great northern” beans, and lima beans. Navy beans, great northern beans, and cannellini beans are grown from the Phaseolus vulgaris plant, while lima beans are grown on the Phaseolus lunatus plant.

Though different white bean varieties have slightly different tastes and sizes, their nutritive values tend to be very similar, and they are often interchangeable in recipes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was Heinz that came up top in our baked bean taste test. The brand scored highly thanks to its tender haricot beans, in the familiar sweet tomato sauce. Our runner-up beans are impressively organic, with a glossy dark red sauce that develops in taste.

Pinto beans are the most widely produced bean in the United States and one of the most popular in the Americas. Pinto beans are used to make Mexican refried beans. Small Red Beans are small, oval-shaped beans with red skin. They have a more delicate flavor and softer texture compared to kidney beans.

Cannellini beans are the largest of the group and because of their traditional kidney shape, they can also be referred to as White Kidney Beans. Meatier than Navy or Great Northern beans, they have a nutty, earthy flavor and tender flesh, and are often used in Italian dishes like Minestrone.

Is there another name for white navy beans? ›

The navy bean, haricot, pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pea bean, or pea bean is a variety of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) native to the Americas, where it was first domesticated. It is a dry white bean that is smaller than many other types of white beans, and has an oval, slightly flattened shape.

Small white beans, known as navy beans, are oval-shaped, ivory-colored beans that have a smooth exterior surface. One of the most common ways to prepare small white beans is in a baked bean recipe. However, there are many other ways to incorporate this hearty little bean into your diet.

Garbanzo Beans

Perhaps considered to be the healthiest variety of beans on the shelves of your local grocery store is the garbanzo bean. Particularly high in fiber, iron, and protein, garbanzo beans are a great bean of choice for reducing your risk of heart disease, as studies have found.

Wouldn't you want to add more foods high in protein, low on the glycemic index, and high in vitamin content with tons of fiber and great versatility to your diet? This magic food is the simple white bean, considered a superfood — like all beans — by the American Diabetes Association.

While tasters generally preferred the creamy texture and larger size of the cannellini beans, most found that the great Northern beans tasted nearly as good. Because the navy beans' skins came off so readily, however, these beans yielded too high a ratio of skins to flesh.

It is estimated that there are well over 400 different types or varieties of dry beans grown throughout the world. Most beans are consumed in local diets and don't find their way onto our western grocery shelves.

Harvest by gently pulling each bean from the vine or by snapping off the vine end, if you are going to be using the beans right away. Depending on whether the bean is a snap, shell, or dry variety will impact when and how the bean should be harvested.

Navy beans, also known as pea beans (named for their tiny round size), are one of a few different varieties of white beans. Other common white beans are Great Northern, cannellini, fa*gioli, and lima. Although they grow differently, and vary in size and shape, all white beans are interchangeable in most recipes.

What is the most popular bean in America? ›

According to the CDC and the USDA, the pinto bean is the most consumed bean in the United States.

common bean, (Phaseolus vulgaris), any of a variety of legumes (family Fabaceae) widely cultivated for their edible seeds and seedpods.

Legumes and pulses, including baked beans, kidney beans, chick peas, lentils and split peas, can help lower cholesterol levels.

Fava Beans:

With nearly 26.12 g/100 g, it's the legume with the highest protein content. Fava beans are a nutritional powerhouse, providing ample carbohydrates, protein, fiber and vitamins, even when dried!

Beans and legumes high in protein include soybeans, lentils, white beans, cranberry beans, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, and limas. The list below is ranked by the most protein per cup cooked.

The mung is the most-consumed bean in the world.

Navy: Navy beans are the smallest of the types of white beans. They have a mild flavor and got their name because they were a popular staple for the US Navy in the early 1900's. You'll find them in Boston Baked Beans and other American dishes. They're also known as Boston beans or pea beans.

The Great Northern Bean is a large off-white bean with a mild flavor and a slightly grainy texture. Closely related to the kidney bean, it holds its shape well when cooked, making it ideal for soups, salads and baked beans. Approximately 1/2 inch in length. Off-white color.

What are common bean names? ›

Due to their creamy white color, navy beans are sometimes confused with other white beans such as great northern beans, cannellini beans, or white kidney beans. A quick tip to differentiate them: Navy beans are smaller and rounder than all of them.

Substitute for Navy Beans

If you don't have Navy beans there are a few very good substitutes. Use equal amounts of: You can substitute Great Northern Beans (larger) OR - White Kidney Beans (Canellini beans)

Cannellini are medium-sized white kidney beans. They are traditionally used in Tuscan minestrone, and are interchangeable with navy or Great Northern beans.

Share this product using: GOYA® Navy Beans, also called “small beans,” are very popular in the United States and are part of the variety of beans that GOYA® has for you. These beans are smaller in size than many other types of white beans, and their preparation is very easy and fast because they are ready to use.

Unlike healthier brown rice, white rice is pure starch with its fiber and other nutrients stripped away, Hu said in an interview with Reuters Health. He likened the sugar-elevating effect of white rice on the body to that of a candy bar. Beans, rich in fiber and protein, produce a much lower insulin response, he said.

Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans are the ones considered best for weight loss plan. The fiber content keeps you fuller for a longer period of time and protein boosts satiety and calorie expenditure.

Beans and other legumes can be beneficial for weight loss. These include lentils, black beans, kidney beans, and some others. Those foods tend to be high in protein and fiber, which are two nutrients that promote satiety. They also tend to contain some resistant starch ( 43 , 44, 45).

Although beans contain carbohydrates, they are low on the glycemic index (GI) scale and do not cause significant spikes in a person's blood sugar levels. Beans are a complex carbohydrate. The body digests this form more slowly than other carbohydrates, helping to keep blood sugar levels stable for longer.

Low-GI foods such as beans - black beans, kidney beans, and pinto beans - offer many health benefits for people with diabetes. They are high in protein, fibre, and other minerals and vitamins but low in fat, all of which are helpful for managing blood sugar levels and fighting disease.

Do beans reduce blood sugar? ›

A cup of beans or lentils each day, when combined with a low-glycemic diet, may help lower blood sugar levels and coronary artery disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Legumes help dampen blood sugar responses and lower blood pressure.

The flavor was nearly identical in all three, but the texture was not. Cannellini beans (measuring an average of 0.9 inch long after cooking) had the thickest skins, which kept the inside texture creamy. The great Northern beans (0.69 inch long when cooked) had more tender skins and slightly less creamy flesh.

Small white beans have a very mild flavor which is why they are so widely used. This mild flavor makes them incredibly versatile and suitable for lots of different recipes. Whereas cannellini beans have a nutty hint to their flavor which does limit the amount of recipes that you can use them in.

Great Northerns are called “common beans” and are botanically classified as Phaseolus vulgaris alongside red kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, pink beans, and navy beans.

If a recipe calls for white beans, you can use Great Northern beans, navy beans, or white kidney beans (also called cannellini beans). Black Beans are medium-size, oval-shaped beans with matte black skin. Black beans are sweet-tasting with a soft texture.

Though they come in several varieties, cannellini beans tend to be the most popular. Due to their high fiber and protein content, they may help support a healthy body weight, muscle mass, and digestion. In particular, they're a great source of protein for vegans and vegetarians.

Cannellini beans are the largest of the group and because of their traditional kidney shape, they can also be referred to as White Kidney Beans. Meatier than Navy or Great Northern beans, they have a nutty, earthy flavor and tender flesh, and are often used in Italian dishes like Minestrone.

Due to their creamy white color, navy beans are sometimes confused with other white beans such as great northern beans, cannellini beans, or white kidney beans. A quick tip to differentiate them: Navy beans are smaller and rounder than all of them.

Both of these types of beans are cooked in the same manner as one another, most commonly baked in other recipes, and because of this they taste very similar to each other. So, in short, the main difference between small white beans and great Northern beans is the fact that the great Northern beans are slightly larger.

What beans are similar to white beans? ›

Navy: Navy beans are the smallest of the types of white beans. They have a mild flavor and got their name because they were a popular staple for the US Navy in the early 1900's. You'll find them in Boston Baked Beans and other American dishes. They're also known as Boston beans or pea beans.