Pinto Beans

Test date: July 2010

Tester: Michele

Products for this test purchased at Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, and Trader Joe's.

MICHELE'S OPINION: Most of these options taste relatively similar, so you'd be fine just picking up what's on sale. But personally, I plan to stay away from 1) the 365 Organic option, since they are really bland, and 2) the S&W product, because although they taste good, there is just way too much salt per serving. Read on for more details on price, nutrition, taste, and the taste test winner:

PRICE COMPARISON FOR 15-16OZ OF BEANS (store first, then brand):
$1.09 Trader Jose's Refried Pinto Beans Salsa Style
$1.09 Trader Joe's Organic
$1.00 Whole Foods 365 Organic
$0.95 Fred Meyer brand
$0.89 Whole Foods 365 No Salt Added
$0.80 Fred Meyer S&W Premium

1. Trader Jose's Refried Pinto Beans Salsa Style: It turns out (as I suspected) that this is a totally different product than the others. But it said pinto beans on it so I bought it.....The beans are partially mashed and have a mexican salsa flavor to them. They taste pretty good and would be a great non-meat alternative on a taco salad. Now I know what I'm having for lunch tomorow....

2. Trader Joe's Organic Pinto Beans: These beans, and all of the rest below, are whole pinto beans in some kind of brine. This particular brand is not too salty and have a good rich bean flavor.

3. 365 Organic Pinto Beans: Comparatively, these beans have a bland flavor and taste like the container they come in. They are not very salty.

4. 365 Pinto Beans No Salt Added: These beans have a relatively crunchy skin and a good bean flavor, but the 'no salt' takes away from the flavor I think. This product also has the cloudiest brine, but perhaps that has to do with the no salt added component.

5. S&W Premium Pinto Beans: These beans taste very salty and have the crunchiest skin of all of the options (as 'crunchy' as you can get when the beans are soaking in a brine). This product als has a relatively clear brine.

6. Fred Meyer Pinto Beans: These beans have a medium saltiness and a hint of a smoky flavor. They also have the clearest brine.

NUTRITIONAL NOTES: All of these products have about the same calorie level (90-120 calories per 1/2 cup) and very low fat content. The carbohydrate levels are similar as well, with all of the products falling between 19 and 22 g per 1/2 cup. The sodium content is the wild card with these products, ranging from 10mg per serving for the 365 No Salt Added beans all the way up to a whopping 530mg in the S&W product! Aside from the 365 natural beans, the products with the lowest salt are the 365 Organic with 100mg per serving and Trader Joe's Organic with 270mg per serving.

TASTE WINNER: Fred Meyer brand and Trader Jose's Refried Pinto Beans