We tried 4 brands of canned green beans — and we had a clear favorite (2024)

FAQs

We tried 4 brands of canned green beans — and we had a clear favorite? ›

The brands we sampled were Green Giant

If your recipe happens to call for Italian green beans, these are the best canned green beans. Del Monte is the brand that makes the most appearances on this list, but if you're looking for French style green beans, go for Great Value. They're less salty and more substantial than Del Monte.

Beyond their culinary versatility, green beans are packed with nutrients that offer many health benefits. They are filled with fiber, vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that make them ideal for regular consumption.

French green beans, also called Haricots Verts, tend to be smaller, more tender, and quicker to cook. Their seeds are so small that they're almost unnoticeable. For these reasons, French green beans are generally considered the best green beans to buy, and they're priced accordingly.

If you're serving them solo, frozen green beans are the way to go. If they're being added to a cooked dish or casserole, canned green beans are just as handy. Look for frozen ones packaged without additional salt or sauce and reduced-sodium canned options.

Most of the world's green beans are harvested in China, followed by Indonesia, India and Turkey.

Only have canned on hand? Don't worry — they're still nutritious. “Canned green beans have a similar nutrient content to fresh or frozen,” says Whitson. “But choose low-sodium varieties, or rinse them before cooking to remove any added salt.”

Haricots verts are thinner and longer than American green beans, and are usually more tender. There aren't huge differences in flavor between the two; French beans have a slightly more earthy flavor, while American green beans lean a little more to the sweet and herbaceous side.

Avoid buying green beans that feel soft, limp, have brown spots or open pods.

Which is healthier, broccoli or green beans? ›

Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and calcium. Green bean has more alpha-carotene than broccoli, however, broccoli contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than green bean. Both green bean and broccoli are high in Vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium. Broccoli has more pantothenic acid.

Not only are they relatively inexpensive, green beans are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables their color. The vegetable helps fight inflammation and is a good source of folate and potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.

When it comes to canned beans, the variety of this pantry staple doesn't matter as much as the salt and sugar content, says Kiran Campbell, RDN of Kiran Campbell Nutrition. “All types of beans provide health benefits,” she told VegNews.

Do You Need To Rinse Canned Beans? According to The Bean Institute, you can reduce up to 41 percent of the sodium in canned beans by rinsing them. "It's fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it's best to drain and rinse canned beans," the website states.

Beans contain compounds with anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering properties, meaning they help reduce inflammation and levels of fats in the blood, respectively. They also support a diverse and healthy gut microbiome ( 13 ).

EXCEPTIONALLY DELICIOUS TASTE: Libby's Cut Green Beans are freshly picked at the peak of ripeness and packed within hours to seal in Farm Fresh Goodness for a deliciously mild, subtly sweet flavor and crisp-tender texture.

Canned green beans— or for that matter, almost any canned vegetable— tastes different from fresh because they have been cooked. And usually, they have been cooked with salt and other seasonings and additives. That alters the flavor and texture.