Beans & legumes · Glycemic index
Do baked beans spike blood sugar?
Moderately. Baked beans have a low GI of 48, and a 127 g serving (½ cup) has a medium glycemic load of 11. Baked beans keep some of the low GI of plain beans, but their sweetened sauce adds sugar, so a half-cup has a medium glycemic load.
Key numbers
- Glycemic index
- 48
- Low GI
- Glycemic load
- 11
- Medium GL
- Available carbs
- 22 g
- 5.2 g fiber
- Serving
- ½ cup
- 127 g · canned, heated
GI vs GL for baked beans
The glycemic index (GI) compares how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar against pure glucose (100), using a fixed amount of carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) adds the other half of the story — how much carbohydrate a normal serving actually contains: GI × available carbs ÷ 100. For baked beans: 48 × 22 g ÷ 100 ≈ 11.
That figure is an average reported in the 2021 international GI tables (“Baked Beans, mean of six foods”). The six products averaged 48, ranging from 40 for beans in tomato sauce to 57 for a can reheated in a microwave.
Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.
How to eat baked beans with less of a spike
- Look for reduced-sugar baked beans and compare the carbohydrate per serving.
- Serve half a cup alongside eggs and grilled tomatoes rather than piled on thick toast.
- Stir in extra rinsed white or kidney beans to dilute the sweet sauce.
Lower-GI swaps
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Frequently asked questions
What is the glycemic index of baked beans?
Baked beans have a glycemic index of 48, which is low. That figure is an average reported in the 2021 international GI tables (“Baked Beans, mean of six foods”). A 127 g serving (½ cup) contains about 22 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 11 (medium).
Is baked beans good for prediabetes?
Baked beans are a reasonable choice in half-cup portions. Reduced-sugar varieties, or plain beans in a tomato sauce you make yourself, are better still.
Are baked beans good for blood sugar?
They're a middle-ground food: the beans themselves are low GI and high in fiber, but the sauce adds sugar. USDA data show about 8 g of sugar per 100 g of canned baked beans versus under 1 g for plain boiled kidney beans.
Sources
GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;114(5):1625–1632, Supplemental Table 1
- USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175182: Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian
- USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173740: Beans, kidney, all types, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt
Data last checked .