How much fiber is in black beans?
Black beans has 7.5 g of fiber per 1/2 cup cooked (86 g) — about 27% of the 28 g Daily Value. That's 8.7 g of fiber per 100 g.
USDA FoodData Central · cooked, boiled · FDC 173735
Fiber by portion
| Portion | Fiber | % DV | Total carbs | Net carbs | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 cup cooked (86 g) | 7.5 g | 27% | 20.4 g | 12.9 g | 114 |
| 100 g | 8.7 g | 31% | 23.7 g | 15 g | 132 |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 2.5 g | 9% | 6.7 g | 4.2 g | 37 |
% DV against the FDA Daily Value of 28 g of fiber. Net carbs = total carbs − fiber, since fiber isn't digested like other carbs. Values from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 173735, SR Legacy). cooked, boiled.
Black beans are the workhorse of high-fiber eating: a humble 1/2-cup cooked side (86 g) delivers about 7.5 g of fiber — roughly 27% of the 28 g Daily Value — from 8.7 g per 100 g. A full cup pushes that to around 15 g, a quarter to half of the entire day’s fiber from one bowl. That’s the real headline of black beans, and of legumes generally: lead with grams of protein and beans look ordinary, but lead with fiber and they’re a standout. Few everyday whole foods put a quarter of the day’s fiber on your plate from a single modest scoop.
A fiber-and-plant-protein standout
What makes legumes the fiber workhorse is that the fiber arrives stacked with everything else you want from a plant food. Black beans carry a useful mix of both fiber types — insoluble fiber that adds bulk and supports regularity, plus soluble fiber that slows digestion and feeds gut bacteria. That blend, together with the bean’s slow-digesting starch, is why beans produce a gentle, gradual blood-sugar rise instead of a spike, and why they keep you full for hours. Alongside the fiber you get a meaningful dose of plant protein, iron, and folate — a combination almost no animal protein can match, since meat brings no fiber at all.
The fiber also reshapes the carb math in beans’ favor. A 1/2-cup serving has about 20.4 g of total carbohydrate, but 7.5 g of that is fiber — so the net carbs land around 12.9 g. Fiber is the carb you subtract, because it isn’t digested into blood sugar, and black beans have one of the largest total-to-net gaps of any legume: more than a third of their carbohydrate is fiber. That’s the heart of the “beans aren’t as carby as they look” story — high fiber pulls the net number well below the total, so a scoop that reads heavy on a label eats much lighter.
Leaning on beans to hit your fiber goal
This is where black beans earn their reputation, because most people get only about half the 28 g daily target and beans are one of the few single foods that can meaningfully close the gap on their own. A 1/2-cup side is ~27% of the day; a cup folded into a burrito bowl, soup, or salad clears half before anything else is counted. Canned works as well as dried — the fiber survives canning, so just rinse to cut sodium. Reach for beans a few times a week and the day’s fiber number starts taking care of itself.
Black beans are a genuine plant-protein contributor as well as a fiber powerhouse. For that side of the picture, see protein in black beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much fiber is in black beans?
About 7.5 g of fiber in a 1/2-cup cooked serving (86 g), which comes from 8.7 g per 100 g (USDA FDC 173735). A full cup runs roughly 15 g — a quarter to half a day's fiber from a single side dish, which is the real nutritional headline of black beans.
What percent of the daily value for fiber is in 1/2 cup of black beans?
About 27% of the 28 g FDA Daily Value from one 1/2-cup side. That's more than a quarter of the day from a modest scoop — among the highest of any everyday whole food, and one of the easiest single foods to lean on for fiber.
Is the fiber in black beans soluble or insoluble?
Both, in a useful mix. Black beans carry insoluble fiber that adds bulk and supports regularity, plus soluble fiber that slows digestion and feeds gut bacteria. That blend, together with the bean's slow starch, is why beans produce a gentle, slow blood-sugar rise rather than a spike.
What are the net carbs in black beans?
About 12.9 g net carbs per 1/2 cup — total carbs (~20.4 g) minus the ~7.5 g of fiber. Black beans have one of the biggest total-to-net gaps of any legume: more than a third of the carbohydrate is fiber, the carb you subtract. That's why they look far carbier on a label than they eat.
Are canned black beans as high in fiber as dried?
Yes — the fiber survives canning, so a rinsed can delivers about the same ~7.5 g per 1/2 cup as home-cooked. The main difference is sodium, which canning adds, so rinse well or buy no-salt-added if you're watching it. The fiber and plant protein come through either way.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 173735 (Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises the entry.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the carbs & net carbs lane.