Group · Pulses
Broad beans (cooked)
The broad bean (fève in French) is one of the oldest pulses grown in Europe, eaten fresh in spring or dried for the rest of the year. Fresh and shelled, it is eaten raw with salt or quickly cooked, and its second skin is removed for a more delicate result.
In terms of nutrition facts, boiled, it provides 83.3 kcal per 100 g, with 8.06 g of protein (a lot for a spring vegetable), 9.35 g of carbohydrate, 3.1 g of fibre and 0.8 g of fat. It provides 160 mg of phosphorus, 37 mg of magnesium and 1.5 mg of iron per 100 g.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 83 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 352 kJ |
| Protein | 8,1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 9,4 g |
| Fat | 0,8 g |
| Fibre | 3,1 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Copper0,31 mg31 %
- Phosphorus160 mg23 %
- Manganese0,31 mg16 %
- Iron1,5 mg11 %
- Potassium200 mg10 %
- Zinc1 mg10 %
- Magnesium37 mg10 %
- Vitamin K15,52 µg7 %
- Vitamin B9dietary folate equivalents65,3 µg
See the other 11 nutrients
- Calcium37 mg5 %
- Vitamin B20,06 mg5 %
- Omega-6 LA0,45 g5 %
- Vitamin B30,69 mg4 %
- Vitamin B10,04 mg4 %
- Vitamin B60,04 mg3 %
- Total omega-30,06 g2 %
- Vitamin E0,28 mg2 %
- Vitamin A17,2 µg2 %
- Vitamin B50,12 mg2 %
- Omega-3 ALA0,04 g2 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
8.06 g of protein for 83.3 kcal: it plays in a different category. It is a pulse disguised as a green vegetable. Weight for weight, it provides five to eight times more protein than an ordinary vegetable, with an energy density that stays low.
Double podding, and it is real work. First the pod, then the translucent skin of each bean after a minute in boiling water. You lose about three quarters of the weight you bought: allow 400 g of broad beans in their pods per person.
Favism: an absolute contraindication. People with G6PD deficiency, which is common around the Mediterranean, can develop severe haemolytic anaemia after eating broad beans. It is one of the few strict dietary bans linked to an everyday food.
It pairs naturally with a cereal. With semolina or rice, the protein intake becomes complete, as the broad bean supplies the lysine that cereals lack.
The season is short: April to June. Out of season, frozen shelled broad beans are an honest option and save most of the work.
Sources
Average nutritional values per 100 g, provided for guidance only (may vary by brand, cut and preparation).