You open a can of beans while putting together dinner. The liquid can go straight into a pot of chili, or down the sink before the beans reach a salad. That choice changes more than how wet the recipe becomes: some of the can’s sodium can leave with the liquid you discard.
A food-analysis study found that draining removed much of the sodium lost during preparation. Rinsing after draining lowered the average a little further, although the extra reduction was not statistically significant.
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What leaves with the liquid
The 2011 paper by Roberta Duyff and colleagues tested five brands each of black, red kidney, garbanzo, pinto and great northern beans. Researchers compared beans with their packing liquid, drained beans, and beans drained then rinsed.
The procedure was specific: drain for two minutes, rinse with 3.5 liters of lukewarm water to represent about 10 seconds under a faucet, then drain for two more minutes.
Across the tested products, sodium fell 36% with draining and 41% with draining plus rinsing. Those percentages compared equivalents of the original labeled serving, including packing liquid, rather than identical half-cup volumes of drained beans.
Processing, liquid thickness and the bean-to-liquid ratio can affect the result. The average does not establish a fixed reduction for every can.
Lower sodium and low sodium mean different things
The FDA’s label guide defines “low sodium” as 140 milligrams or less per serving. “Reduced sodium” means at least 25% less than the regular product. A reduction does not automatically bring a food below the low-sodium threshold.
“No salt added” describes processing: salt was not added, but the food may still contain sodium. Check the Nutrition Facts panel rather than treating that phrase as a promise of zero.
Compare similar serving sizes when choosing cans. Then keep the preparation in mind. The study’s average reduction is not a reliable formula for printing a new sodium number onto your own dinner, especially when the brand, sauce or draining method differs.
Make the choice fit the recipe
Current U.S. dietary guidance includes canned beans labeled low sodium or no salt added, and recommends rinsing to remove some sodium. You can keep the convenient ingredient while making a deliberate choice about its liquid.
For a salad or rice bowl, draining and rinsing can fit naturally into preparation. For soup or chili where you want the packing liquid, starting with a lower-sodium product lets you keep that cooking choice without pretending you drained anything away.
If beans are the protein anchor in your bowl, our story on plant protein across a day’s meals looks at how they fit into an overall eating pattern.
Finally, consider what goes in after the beans. The same U.S. guidance suggests herbs, spices, garlic, lemon or lime for flavor. Taste the assembled dish before adding salt, particularly if the bowl also contains a salty sauce, cheese or seasoning blend.