Navy beans are small, white beans that got their name from their time as a staple ingredient of the U.S. Navy, according to the website World’s Healthiest Foods.
Nutrition—Dry
One serving of dry navy beans, boiled without salt, contains 255 calories, 1 g of fat, no cholesterol or sodium, 48 g of carbohydrates, 19 g of fiber, 1 g of sugar and 15 g of protein, according to the website Nutrition Data.
Nutrition—Canned
One serving of canned navy beans contains 296 calories, 1 g of fat, no cholesterol, almost half the daily recommended intake of sodium, 54 g of carbohydrates, 13 g of fiber, 1 g of sugar and 20 g of protein, according to Nutrition Data.
Benefits
Navy beans are very high in fiber and are a good source of folate, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, thiamin and iron, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.
Preparation
Soak the beans for eight hours (or boil for two minutes, remove them from the heat and let them stand, covered, for two hours), drain, rinse, add water and boil them, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.
Fun Fact
The U.S. Senate restaurant features “Senate Bean Soup” every day. The soup combines dried navy beans with smoked ham hocks, according to the Senate website.