Packing a punch: Top 8 tins of baked beans to buy to boost your fibre intake
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All hail the baked bean — a great source of protein and fibre. Around 25g of fibre per day is recommended for women, 35g for men. A quarter of a can (100g) delivers about 4g each of fibre and protein, 80-100 calories, with fat at about 0.5g. The percentage of carbs is high due to the high fibre content, with sugars around 5% - not of great concern. Salt at usually 0.5% isn’t a worry.
If we serve beans on toast and top with a fried/poached egg we can enjoy fibre and protein for an easy, nutritious meal. Add some greens in the form of spinach, cabbage, broccoli, for a healthier balance.
Additional fibre can be added in the form of other vegetables – carrots, parsnips, potatoes, alternating them with pasta and brown rice. A piece of fruit, a few seeds or nuts and you will easily reach your fibre RDA.Â
Beans will thicken up soups and stir-fries, while a stew can be stretched to feed more. Pack into pitta bread with crisped up onions. Add a dessertspoon of curry sauce to beans to vary the flavour.
Some beans are labelled vegetarian friendly, not vegan friendly, as lard or honey are sometimes used in the sauce.
A decent 51% beans deliver a relatively low 3.7% fibre with a rich 34% tomatoes flavoured with spirit vinegar, spice and herb extracts which make for a pleasant combination that tasters liked. To many, beanz still meanz Heinz! Vegan friendly.
9
At 60%, the bean content here is highest of the samples and has the freshest, light flavour. Some thought them a little bland, and suggested adding salt. Fibre is at a decent 6.6% provided by slighter smaller beans than others. Tomato sauce is thickened lightly with corn starch and isn’t gloopy. Paprika and an unspecified organic flavouring make it moreish. A good, natural product. Not vegan friendly.
8.75
Haricots blancs are the beans used in all baked beans we tasted, and here at 49% they deliver a slightly lower than expected 3.7% fibre. 33% tomatoes are gently flavoured with vinegar, dried onions, paprika and garlic extracts, thickened to a non-gloopy texture with cornflour. Vegan friendly. Good on toast.
8.25
Packed with 51% beans, a decent 34% tomato purée, with modified maize starch to thicken, the sauce is flavoured with dried onion, dried paprika, clove, capsicum and cinnamon extracts and chilli. Fibre is a commendably high 7.1%. Rich flavours make this vegan friendly can full a good buy at the price.
8
The favourite of two tasters, these one or two serving cans are handy to take to work and have 51% beans, delivering a decent 5.9% fibre. A good 38% of tomatoes provide richness with hints of vinegar, paprika, pepper and spices. Flavoured with salt, white pepper, paprika and spices, not too thickened, comes together well. Tasters were happy. Made by Cross & Blackwell, we bought in Iceland supermarket.
8.5
Organic haricot beans (49%) and tomato purée (21%) divided tasters at first, half not liking the unexpected spices: cassia (like cinnamon bark), nutmeg, cloves. Particularly good with a poached egg, use as a cheat for the currently fashionable North African/Middle Eastern Shakshuka for breakfast. More seasoning from garlic and onion powders, dill and capsicum adds flavour. Fibre is a fair 4.8%. Vegan friendly
8.5
Beans at 56% deliver a surprisingly low 4.2% fibre for the quantity. 34% tomatoes is decent, at 0.80% salt is higher than most which the adults liked, but the children did not. Sauce texture just right. Vegan friendly.
8
A generous 56% beans (with 4.9% fibre) and 27% tomatoes are flavoured with spices, tomato powder and yeast extract, thickened with cornflour. There is little difference between these and the label’s My Family Favourites range (25c), with less flavour in both than some other samples. A little runny to serve on toast (unless you like it soggy). Ideal to add to soups and stews. Suitable for vegetarians.
7
