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While your dog might like the look of whatever you have on your plate, the dietary needs of your dog are a bit different from yours.
They can’t eat all the foods you eat, and you would probably find some of their meals pretty unappetizing. So, it is good to take the time to ask yourself whether your dog can eat certain foods.
Today, let’s ask the question: can dogs eat black beans?
Can they eat any kind of beans for that matter?
The short answer to this question is YES! Black beans and other legumes make a healthy addition to your dog’s diet, offering lots of the vitamins and minerals they need to thrive.
However, they should only be eating beans in moderation and prepared in a way that is appropriate for them.
Let’s take a closer look at what beans and legumes dogs can eat, how much of them they should be eating, and how they should be best prepared for your dog’s health.
We’ll also share some of our favorite black bean-based, homemade dog food recipes that are easy to make at home and fantastic for your dog’s bowl.
We are not dog nutritionist nor are we veterinarians. This article is based on our experiences and our independent research. This article is for entertainment purposes only. Please reach out to your veterinarian or nutritionist if you have questions about your dog’s diet.
Can Dogs Eat Black Beans And Other Legumes?
Yes, black beans is a food that is not only OK for your dog to eat, but it also offers lots of nutritional benefits for canines.
Black beans are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. These beans also have a good amount of fiber to aid in good digestion, and they are pretty high in protein.
But remember, while your dog might be an omnivore, the best protein for them is animal-based protein, rather than the protein derived from beans.
Overall, adding some beans to your dog’s diet can help regulate their blood sugar, help them burn fat, and also strengthen their immune system.
Black beans aren’t the only foods in the legume family that offer these health benefits. Your dog can also eat lima beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, edamame, soybeans, chickpeas, and lentils.
However, there are a few types of beans that dogs should not be eating. Fava/broad beans are one because they contain phytohemagglutinin (PHA), which is toxic to dogs.
Baked beans, refried beans, and canned beans should also be avoided. This isn’t down to the beans themselves, but the way they are prepared. There are usually significant amounts of added sugar and salt, which can be harmful to dogs.
If you are thinking that we’ve missed an important bean category, green beans, don’t worry, this is on purpose because green beans are not in fact legumes; they are vegetables. But they are also safe for your pup to eat and are often included in healthy dog food recipes.
Green beans are rich in protein, iron, calcium, vitamins A, B6, C, and K. They are a great source of fiber and also low in calories, so they are a good way to fill out your dog’s bowl.
For a list of foods your dog shouldn’t be eating and can be toxic for them, read our complete article. The list contains chocolate and sugar alternatives found in many sweets.
Onion, garlic, and other spices commonly used in the dishes we eat can also be toxic to dogs. This is the main reason you should never feed your dog food off your own plate.
Preparing Black Beans For Your Dog
As we have already said, you should always feed your dog fresh black beans and legumes, rather than giving them the canned stuff.
This is not because of the beans themselves, but because large amounts of sugar (e.g. baked beans) and salt (e.g. refried beans) are added as part of the preparation. Preservatives that aren’t great for your dog may also be inside the can.
So, the best thing you can do is prepare the beans yourself, in pretty much the same way as you would prepare the beans for yourself.
- You should quickly sort the beans and remove any that are broken, and then soak the beans in water overnight for a minimum of eight hours.
- In the morning, drain and rinse the beans.
- You should then cover the beans in water, to about two fingers above the beans.
- Once they come to a boil, reduce to low heat and simmer until tender, which should take about an hour and a half.
- Drain the water to serve.
While you would probably add at least salt to the water when preparing the beans for yourself, when preparing them for your dog, skip the salt. They don’t need the salt for their palette or their health.
How Many Black Beans Can Your Dog Eat?
While black beans make a healthy addition to your dog’s diet, they should only be a limited source of calories for your dog.
The general rule is that black beans should never form more than 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake.
This is because, while they contain quite a bit of protein (about 8 grams per half-cup), they also contain quite a lot of carbohydrates (40 grams per half-cup), and dogs benefit from a diet balanced more towards protein.
Further, while black beans can be a source of protein for your omnivorous dog, animal-based protein is a better source of protein in your dog, so you shouldn’t regularly use black beans as a replacement for animal-based proteins.
Black beans are best served when mixed with rice, meat, and vegetables to make a healthy well-rounded meal.
Remember that black beans are also high in calories, so be careful just how many you include in the bowl.
Best Homemade Dog Food Recipes With Black Beans
Heart Black Bean Bowl – Veg Annie
Annie Markowitz shares a great Black Bean Bowl recipe for dogs on her website, which costs just $0.64 per serving and offers a healthy 356 calories per meal (depending on serving size).
The recipe is incredibly simple. It contains just black beans, brown rice, kale leaf stems, and then cooking them for the healthiest option for your dog.
Doggy Black Bean Burgers – Entirely Pets
This is another fantastic homemade dog food recipe that you might consider good enough for your own plate once you see it.
The recipe takes about half an hour to prepare and 20 minutes to cook and offers your pup 380 healthy calories per serving.
Combine black beans (again, cooked yourself rather than from a can) with cheddar cheese and two eggs to make the meaty mix for the burger patty. Coat the patty in breadcrumbs to keep it together and bake in the oven for a healthy, non-oily meal.
The recipe recommends adding barley, parsley, and garlic powder, but we consider these optional. Though it is best to skip the garlic altogether. While the amount of garlic recommended is unlikely to do your dog any harm, larger quantities of garlic can be toxic for your pup, so it is best avoided in general.
Dog Gone Chili – Awesome Cooker
We also love this recipe that combines beans with healthy chicken protein for a rich and diversely nutritious meal.
Batch prepare this recipe by combining four cooked chicken breasts with one cup of back beans and one cup of kidney beans, plus diced carrots and tomatoes.
Simmer all the ingredients in chicken broth until you create a nice hearty stew that smells good enough to eat yourself
Cool, portion out, and either feed directly or refrigerate/freeze for later meals. This dish will generally keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Grain-Free Black Bean Dog Cookies – Petful
If you prefer to make a healthy treat for your pup that you can use for training and reward, then black beans are another option.
Simply combine one cup of cooked black beans, a quarter of a cup of almond butter, half a ripe banana, and an egg in a food processor.
Refrigerate the batter for at least an hour, and then bake the cookies in the oven at 350℉ for about 25 minutes. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before feeding the first one to your dog.
Are Legumes An Alternative To Grains?
Legumes are very closely related to grains, so if you are already wary of feeding your dog grains, you might want to ask whether you should be including legumes in their diet as well.
Legumes, including beans, are specifically the fruit or seed from plants of the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family. They are mainly grown for human and animal consumption.
Much like grain, dogs in the wild are unlikely to eat legumes. So, if your objection to feeding your dog grains is bioavailability, the same considerations should also apply to legumes.
But, if you are more concerned about digestibility and nutritional value, legumes are considered to be more nutritionally beneficial and more digestible than grains.
Legumes are typically very high in fiber. Half a cup of black beans contain around seven grams of fiber. They also contain a healthy dose of protein, around eight grams for black beans, but also quite a lot of carbohydrates at around 20 grams in half a cup of black beans.
In contrast, half a cup of your typical cereal grain contains about 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than two grams of protein, and less than half a gram of fiber.
Legumes are also rich in many of the vitamins and minerals that dogs need, including B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium. But more than this, legumes also have a lower antinutrient content than grains.
Antinutrients are compounds that reduce the absorption of certain nutrients by your body. Grains often contain a lot of antinutrients, which can lead to deficiencies in vegetarians, even when they carefully balance their diet.
So, legumes, including black beans, are certainly a superior source of carbohydrates for your dog than traditional grains.
FAQs
What happens if your dog eats too many black beans?
Black beans are not toxic to dogs, so if they eat too many, they aren’t in any particular danger, but the body will probably revolt. Expect indigestion, bloating, gas, queasiness, or diarrhea. There is not much you can do for your dog other than letting the indigestion pass and be diligent about cleaning up the mess.
Do beans make dogs fart?
Some beans can make your dog more gaseous than normal, and therefore, more likely to fart. Soybeans are particularly problematic for this. Black beans, less so, but if your dog eats them regularly, you might notice that they do fart a bit more often.
Are baked beans OK for dogs?
No, dogs should never be given baked beans. This is because of the way the beans are prepared. The resulting recipe is high in sugar, which is not great for your dog and can play havoc with their digestive system.
If your dog manages to get their hands on a tin of baked beans and eat them all, they will be fine as long as they aren’t diabetic, though they might suffer from a sugar high followed by an energy crash. However, baked beans can be very damaging to their health if eaten regularly.
Are black beans carbs or protein?
When putting together a plate, it is best to consider black beans a carbohydrate, as they are high in carbs. Half a cup of black beans contains about 20 grams of carbs. This is only a little bit less than the carbohydrates in typical grains.
However, while grains contain only one or two grams of protein per half-cup, black beans contain around eight grams of protein for the same amount. This is why black beans are sometimes discussed as a protein.
Black beans also contain much more fiber than traditional grains, which is the other reason beans are a much healthier source of carbs than grains.
How many carbs should dogs be eating?
As a general rule, no more than 50% of your dog’s diet should be sourced from carbohydrates.
They need at least 30% of their calories from protein, preferably animal-based protein, and about 20% of their calories from fat, again, preferably, animal-based fat.
You will often see chicken fat as an added ingredient in dog food recipes to get dogs the fat content they need.
Fish oil is another great source of dietary fat. You may also see canola oil or sunflower oil added as a source of fat. While these are OK, animal fats are both healthier and more bioavailable for dogs.
What are considered the best sources of carbs for dogs?
Black beans are one of the best sources of carbohydrates for dogs because they are also rich in protein and fiber, but there are other good sources as well.
When choosing recipes for your dog, look for brown rice, potatoes, and especially sweet potatoes, oats, and barley.
Why are grains bad for dogs?
Grains aren’t bad for dogs, unless they have celiac disease or a sensitivity to grains, which is much less common among dogs than it is among humans. The decision not to give dogs grains is often based on human sensitivities to them.
In addition, grains are not a food that would be available to your dog in the wild, so many pet parents choose not to give their dogs grain as it is not natural for them to eat.
But the reality is that grains aren’t bad for your dog, as they don’t eat too much of them. Grains tend to be high in carbohydrates and sugar, both of which should be limited in your dog’s diet.
The Verdict
Not only can your dog eat black beans, but they are also a healthy addition to your dog’s diet.
Black beans are a healthy source of fiber, as well as vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. They are also pretty high in protein but are no substitute for the animal-based protein dogs need.
While black beans are healthy, they should be fed to your dog in moderation and should make up no more than 10% of your dog’s daily calorie intake. This is because, while they are high in protein, they are also high in carbohydrates and high in calories.
Also, always make sure you prepare your dog’s black beans yourself rather than relying on the canned variety. Canned beans often contain added sugar, salt, and preservatives that aren’t great for your dog.
Black beans are just one of the many legumes you can add to your dog’s bowl as a healthy source of vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates.
Do you feed your dog black beans?
What are your favorite dog food recipes that use black beans?
Share them in the comments section below.
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