Food database · Legumes & beans

Protein content

Protein in Pinto beans

15.4 g of protein in 1 cup cooked (171 g) of pinto beans, or 6.3 g for every 100 kcal it supplies.

15.4 g
per 1 cup cooked

Protein by the numbers

Share of this food's calories that come from protein - it is moderately protein-dense.

Protein 25% of caloriesOther 75%
Protein figures for Pinto beans, per serving, per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
Protein per 100 kcal6.3 g
Protein per 100 g9.01 g
Protein per serving15.4 g in 1 cup cooked (171 g)
Calories from protein25%
Protein to fat13.9 g per 1 g fat
Leucine per serving1.31 g
Rank in legumes, per 100 kcal26th of 54
Rank of all foods, per 100 g471st of 796
Share of 50 g Daily Value31% per serving
Protein qualityIncomplete protein

One 1 cup cooked, 15.4 g protein.

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Protein rank and density: pinto beans

Every 100 kcal of pinto beans brings 6.3 g of protein. On that measure it ranks 26th of the 54 legumes in this database and 393rd of all 796 foods on the site. Measured by weight instead, its 9.01 g per 100 g ranks 18th in its group.

Around 25% of the calories in pinto beans come from protein, so it is moderately protein-dense. It contributes to a day's protein total, but the bulk of what it delivers is energy rather than amino acids - treat it as a contributor alongside a denser source, not as the protein in a meal.

Weight for weight, pinto beans has 13.9 g of protein for each gram of fat (9.01 g against 0.65 g per 100 g).

Set against chickpeas, another legume entry in the database, a serving carries about 0.9 g more protein (chickpeas has 14.5 g per 1 cup cooked).

It is an incomplete protein on its own; pairing it with other plant foods across the day covers the full range of essential amino acids. The serving quoted here is measured by volume at 171 g, and it covers about 31% of the 50 g FDA Daily Value for protein.

Serving sizes

Protein in common portions of pinto beans

Protein and calories in Pinto beans for 100 g, the site serving and USDA household portions.
PortionWeightProteinCalories
100 g100 g9.01 g143 kcal
1 cup cooked (serving used here)171 g15.4 g245 kcal
1 tbsp10.6 g1 g15 kcal

Portion weights are the household measures listed on the USDA record; protein and calories scale from the per-100 g figures.

Amino acids

Essential amino acids in pinto beans

The nine essential amino acids in Pinto beans, per 100 g, per serving and per gram of protein.
Amino acidPer 100 gPer servingmg per g protein
leucine0.765 g1.31 g85
lysine0.63 g1.08 g70
valine0.519 g0.89 g58
isoleucine0.426 g0.73 g47
threonine0.331 g0.57 g37
phenylalanine0.531 g0.91 g59
methionine0.117 g0.2 g13
histidine0.247 g0.42 g27
tryptophan0.108 g0.18 g12

Per-100 g values are the amino acid analysis on the USDA record. The serving and per-gram-of-protein columns are arithmetic on those values; they are not a protein quality score.

SampleWhat goal trends look like after a week
109 g
Average per logged day
4 of 7
Days goal met
71%
Complete-protein share
Sample figures for one made-up week against a 110 g goal, not your data. Red bars met the goal. Your own log fills this in with Premium.

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Head to head

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Quick answers

Pinto beans protein questions

How much protein is in 100 g of pinto beans?

9.01 g. The 1 cup cooked serving used on this page weighs 171 g and so carries 15.4 g.

How much protein do you get per 100 calories of pinto beans?

6.3 g. That figure divides its 9.01 g of protein per 100 g by its 143 kcal per 100 g, so it does not depend on serving size.

Is the protein in pinto beans complete?

No. On its own, the protein in pinto beans is short of at least one essential amino acid; other protein sources across the day fill the gap.

What share of the protein Daily Value is one serving of pinto beans?

About 31%. One 1 cup cooked serving has 15.4 g, and the FDA Daily Value for protein is 50 g.

Figures from USDA FoodData Central record #175200 (Beans, pinto, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt), SR Legacy data. USDA data is in the public domain. Values are the published reference figures for that record, not lab measurements for a specific brand or batch.