Nutritional Information for Green Beans
Green beans are one of the lowest-calorie vegetables you can buy, delivering just 31 kcal per 100g with a solid 3.4g of fibre. From a SpikeSaver perspective, green beans are essentially glucose-neutral — with only 3.1g of carbohydrate per 100g and a GI of around 15, they cause virtually no blood sugar response. They are a NOVA 1 whole food in their fresh form, though tinned versions in water remain NOVA 1 too. The prepared side-dish variants with butter sauces push into NOVA 3 territory.
Nutrition per 100g
| Nutrient | Per 100g | Per serving |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 31 kcal / 130 kJ | 25 kcal |
| Protein | 2.1g | 1.7g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.1g | 2.5g |
| of which sugars | 2.2g | — |
| Fat | 0.4g | 0.3g |
| of which saturated | 0.1g | — |
| Fibre | 3.4g | — |
| Salt | 0.01g | — |
Serving size: 1 portion (~80g, about a handful) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025
Glucose impact
Very Low
Glucose risk
Green beans contain only 3.1g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 2.2g is sugars. With a glycaemic index of approximately 15, they produce a negligible blood glucose response. You would need to eat over 300g of green beans to consume even 10g of carbohydrate. They are one of the safest vegetables for blood sugar management.
Processing level
Fresh green beans are a single-ingredient whole vegetable — completely unprocessed. Tinned green beans in water (such as Tesco Whole Green Beans In Water) are also NOVA 1, since water and minimal salt are permitted in NOVA Group 1. However, Tesco's prepared side dishes that add butter, honey, or garlic sauces move into NOVA 3 (processed) due to the added fats and flavourings.
Green Beans at Tesco
Source: Tesco product page, October 2025
*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.
What to watch for when shopping
Plain fresh or frozen green beans are always NOVA 1 and virtually carb-free. Tinned green beans in water are also fine. The products to watch are the prepared side dishes — Tesco Finest variants with honey butter or garlic butter add significant fat and some sugar, pushing calories from 31 to over 100 kcal per 100g. Budget tip: Tesco Green Beans 220G at £0.85 (£3.86/kg) is the cheapest fresh option.
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