Beans and rice: lower blood sugar after one meal, in small trials

The strongest evidence on beans and rice is a handful of small crossover trials, each measuring what one meal does over a few hours. In a randomized crossover trial in 17 adults with type 2 diabetes, single breakfasts of pinto, black or kidney beans with rice kept finger-prick blood sugar lower at 90, 120 and 150 minutes than the same 50 g of carbohydrate from rice alone. Over two and three hours the total rise was smaller after pinto and black beans, with moderate standardized effect sizes of 0.43 and 0.50 (Cohen's d, with no figure in blood sugar units), and not after kidney beans. Those were one-off meals, so the trial says nothing about months of eating this way. A second trial, in 12 healthy women, found lower blood sugar at 60 and 90 minutes after black beans or chickpeas with white rice than after rice alone, though not every woman completed all three test days. A 170 g cup of the US dish gives about 279 calories, 11 g protein, 6.3 g fiber and 393 mg sodium, a figure recalculated from 100 g that moves with how much salt the recipe uses.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• UK composition data give 170 calories, 5.6 g protein and 1.3 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g) for rice with black-eye beans, and 164 calories, 5.9 g protein and 1.53 mg iron for the brown rice version. — Composite dish, per 3.5 oz (100 g) Evidence E source
  15-855: 170 calories, protein 5.6 g, NSP fiber 1.4 g, iron 1.30 mg; 15-856: 164 calories, protein 5.9 g, NSP 1.8 g, iron 1.53 mg

What a real portion looks like

• A 1 cup (170 g) serving of US beans and white rice provides about 279 calories, 11 g protein, 6.3 g fiber and 393 mg sodium. — US dish Beans and white rice, 1 cup = 170 g Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 164 calories, protein 6.5 g, fiber 3.7 g, carbohydrate 25.2 g, sodium 231 mg; recalculated to 170 g

What your body absorbs

• In the same trial of 11 adults, the whole-food beans and rice meal produced lower peak blood amino acids than a matched isolated amino acid mix. — Physically active young adults after resistance exercise (n = 11) Evidence B source
  Cmax higher with isolated mix for total amino acids (P = 0.010), essential amino acids (P < 0.001) and leucine (P = 0.004)

What it does to your health

• In a randomized crossover trial in 17 adults with type 2 diabetes, pinto, black and kidney bean with rice meals gave lower blood glucose at 90 to 150 minutes than rice alone at equal 50 g available carbohydrate. — Adults with type 2 diabetes controlled by metformin (n = 14) or diet/exercise (n = 3), aged 35-70 years (n = 17) Evidence B source
  Net glucose significantly lower at 90, 120 and 150 min for all three bean/rice meals vs rice; iAUC lower for pinto and black beans, not kidney beans
• In the same 17 adults with type 2 diabetes, the glucose area under the curve after pinto or black bean with rice was lower than after rice with moderate effect sizes (Cohen's d 0.43 to 0.50). — 17 adults with type 2 diabetes, single breakfast test meals (n = 17) Evidence B source
  IAUC 0-120 min P = 0.009 (pinto) and 0.002 (black); 0-180 min P = 0.017 and 0.007; Cohen's d 0.431 and 0.501
• In a randomized crossover trial in 12 healthy women, black beans or chickpeas with white rice lowered blood glucose at 60 and 90 minutes compared with the same carbohydrate from rice alone. — Healthy adult women aged 18-65 years (n = 12) Evidence B source
  IAUC differed by treatment p = 0.027; lower glucose at 60 min (p = 0.026, 0.024), 90 min (p = 0.001, 0.012), 120 min black bean (p = 0.024)
• Observational data link higher bean intake with lower all-cause mortality in older Costa Ricans over 15 years, while rice intake was linked only in men. — 2827 elderly Costa Ricans (60+ y at baseline), 15-y follow-up (n = 2827) Evidence C source
  Beans HR 0.79 (95% CI 0.68, 0.91) highest vs lowest tertile; rice in males HR 0.75 (0.60, 0.94)

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a randomized crossover trial in 11 active young adults, 20 g protein from black beans and rice raised muscle protein synthesis after exercise about as much as a matched amino acid mix (0.057 vs 0.052 %/h). — Physically active adults, 24 ± 4 y, 10 men and 1 woman (n = 11) Evidence B source
  MPS 0.057 ± 0.013 vs 0.052 ± 0.013 %/h, P = 0.260, d = 0.4; exploratory: ground pork gave greater MPS

Who this works differently for

• Observational data link a Brazilian beans-and-rice dietary pattern with slightly lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in adolescents. — 36,217 Brazilian adolescents (ERICA) (n = 36217) Evidence C source
  Per 1 SD of pattern score: triglycerides beta -2.24 mg/dL (95% CI -3.57; -0.91), LDL-c -0.82 (-1.53; -0.12), total cholesterol -1.30 (-1.94; -0.65)
• Observational data from Brazil link higher parity with greater adherence to a traditional beans-and-rice dietary pattern during pregnancy. — 327 postpartum women aged 18-45 years, Mesquita, Brazil (n = 327) Evidence C source
  Parity beta 0.098 (95% CI 0.021, 0.175) for the traditional pattern

The bottom line

In a randomized crossover trial in 11 active young adults, ten of them men, a beans and rice meal after resistance exercise raised muscle protein synthesis about as much as an amino acid mix matched to it. The rates were 0.057 against 0.052 percent per hour, a difference that did not reach significance. Peak blood amino acids were lower after the meal than after the mix. Ground pork gave more muscle protein synthesis than either, but only in an exploratory comparison across separate trials. Observational data from 2827 Costa Ricans aged 60 and over link the highest bean intake with lower death from any cause over 15 years (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.68 to 0.91), from food questionnaires. A rural way of life and other habits may explain part of that link. Rice showed a similar link only in men (0.75, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.94). In 36,217 Brazilian adolescents, a snapshot survey linked a pattern heavy in beans and rice and light in sugary drinks and sweets with triglycerides 2.24 mg/dL lower per standard deviation of the pattern score. We have no evidence card on allergy, medicines or safety in pregnancy for this dish, so the page has no safety section. Read that as a gap in what we found. The one pregnancy study here only found that Brazilian women with more children leaned more on the traditional beans and rice pattern, and it measured nothing about health.

Sources

1. bnrc-daily-r6-09 · composition dataset
   Rice and black-eye beans (CoFID 15-855, group DR): energy 170 kcal, protein 5.6 g, NSP 1.4 g, iron 1.30 mg per 100 g; Rice and black-eye beans, brown rice (CoFID 15-856): energy 164 kcal, protein 5.9 g, NSP 1.8 g, iron 1.53 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), codes 15-855 and 15-856, OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-30
2. bnrc-daily-r6-10 · composition dataset
   Beans and white rice (FNDDS 58160110, fdc_id 2708990): 1 cup = 170 g; per 100 g energy 164 kcal, protein 6.5 g, fiber 3.7 g, carbohydrate 25.19 g, sodium 231 mg; per 1 cup 278.8 kcal, 11.1 g protein, 6.3 g fiber, 392.7 mg sodium
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 58160110 (fdc_id 2708990) · checked 2026-09-30
3. bnrc-daily-r6-05 · randomized crossover trial
   Cmax were significantly higher in the ISO condition for TAA (P = 0.010), EAA (P < 0.001), and leucine (P = 0.004) than in the COMP condition (Supplemental Table 1).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-30
4. bnrc-daily-r6-01 · randomized crossover trial
   Seventeen men and women with type 2 diabetes controlled by metformin (n = 14) or diet/exercise (n = 3) aged 35-70 years participated in the randomized 4 × 4 crossover trial. ... Postprandial net glucose values were significantly lower for the three bean/rice treatments in contrast to the rice control at 90, 120 and 150 minutes. Incremental area under the curve values were significantly lower for the pinto and black bean/rice meals compared to rice alone, but not for kidney beans.
   Nutr J, 2012 · checked 2026-09-30
5. bnrc-daily-r6-02 · randomized crossover trial
   Significant differences were found between the rice control meal and the pinto beans and rice and black beans and rice at 0–120 (P = 0.009 and 0.002) and 0–180 minutes (P = 0.017 and 0.007). The effect sizes (Cohen’s d) for iAUC were determined to be 0.431 for 0–120 minutes and 0.501 for 0–180 minutes.
   Nutr J, 2012 · checked 2026-09-30
6. bnrc-daily-r6-03 · randomized crossover trial
   This randomized cross-over study examined the glycemic and insulinemic impact of 50 grams of available carbohydrate from three test meals: plain white rice (control), black beans with rice, and chickpeas with rice among healthy adult women (n = 12, 18-65 years). ... Changes in blood glucose concentrations were significantly different for the black bean meal and the chickpea meal in comparison to rice alone at 60 min (p = 0.026 and p = 0.024), 90 min (p = 0.001 and p = 0.012) and 120 min post prandial (p = 0.024; black bean meal).
   Nutrients, 2017 · checked 2026-09-30
7. bnrc-daily-r6-06 · prospective cohort
   Bean intake was associated with lower all-cause mortality among all subjects (HR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.91, highest compared with lowest tertile) and in sex-stratified analysis. Rice consumption was inversely associated with all-cause mortality solely among males (HR: 0.75; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.94, highest compared with lowest tertile).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-09-30
8. bnrc-daily-r6-04 · randomized crossover trial
   MPS increased from rest but did not differ between COMP (0.057 ± 0.013 %/h) and ISO (0.052 ± 0.013 %/h; P = 0.260; d = 0.4). In an exploratory, cross-trial comparison, MEAT (ground pork) elicited a significantly greater postprandial MPS compared with ISO, COMP, or carbohydrate alone (all, P < 0.05).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-30
9. bnrc-daily-r6-07 · cross-sectional study
   The RRR-DP2 was positively loaded for beans and rice and negatively loaded for sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices, and sweets. ... one SD increase in the RRR-DP2 score was associated with the lower mean of triglycerides (β = -2.24, 95% CI -3.57;-0.91), LDL-c (β = -0.82 95% CI -1.53;-0.12), and total cholesterol (β = -1.30 95% CI -1.94;-0.65).
   Eur J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-09-30
10. bnrc-daily-r6-08 · cross-sectional study
    'traditional' (mainly comprising beans and rice). ... Women with higher parity were less likely to adhere to the 'healthy' pattern (β=-0·097; 95% CI -0·184, -0·009; P=0·030) and were more likely to adhere to the 'traditional' pattern (β=0·098; 95% CI 0·021, 0·175; P=0·012).
    Public Health Nutr, 2016 · checked 2026-09-30