All about great northern beans
Great northern beans first originated in South America, like all other common beans. The bean is perhaps referred to as "great northern," because they were originally brought to the area of what is now called North Dakota by Spanish exploration. A tribe located in North Dakota known as the Mandan tribe domesticated the beans for cultivation. (LeafTV Contributor, n.d.)
Great northern beans aren't just economically friendly, they're also really healthy. (The nutritional value per ¼ cup serving of great northern beans: For a 2,000 calorie diet: Serving size: ¼ cup)
Nutritional information per packaged label for dried great northern beans
Calories 90
Calories from fat 0 grams
Total Fat 0 grams, 0% Daily Value
Saturated Fat 0 grams, 0% Daily Value
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0 grams, 0% Daily Value
Sodium 0mg, 0% Daily Value
Total Carbohydrate 22 grams, 7% Daily Value
Dietary Fiber 7 grams, 28% Daily Value
Sugars 1 gram
Protein 8 grams
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 4% Daily Value
Calcium 6% Daily Value
Iron: 8% Daily Value
Plus, great northern beans are packed full of essential amino acids, such as cystine, histidine isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tyrosine, tryptophan, and valine.
As you know, the percentage "Daily Values" is solely based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your diet may require less or more.
Lectins in beans
When eating great northern beans, always make sure they're properly cooked. The lectins found in raw beans and undercooked great northern beans are toxic. So, for your safety, never eat beans that aren't cooked efficiently.
Why you should eat more great northern beans and other beans in general:
Great northern beans not only taste good, they're high in nutritional value and loaded with antioxidants. Plus, they have anti-inflammatory properties and they help aid digestion. They're also high in fiber, which in turn cleanses the colon to give you better colon health.
Prices for dry bags of great northern beans back in November 2022 and prices NOW in 2026
So, I decided to do some price comparison at different online stores for you guys, on great northern beans, just in case y'all might be interested. (Note: My original article was first published at Newbreak back in 2022. So, I had those prices locked in from back then).
Target.com has their store brand of Good & Gather 1 pound bags (16-ounces) of dry, great northern beans priced at $1.59. Now in 2026, at Target the same bag of dried beans is priced at $1.99.
Walmart.com has their Great Value brand of 32-ounce bags (2-pounds) of dry great northern beans priced at $2.24 and to buy them in bulk (also at Walmart.com) three 32-ounce bags (equals 6-pounds) are priced at $6.72. Now in 2026, at Wal-Mart the 32-ounce bag is priced at $2.22 and to buy them in bulk of three bags the price is $6.66.
Kroger.com has the Kroger brand of 32-ounce bags (2-pounds) of dried great northern beans priced for $2.79. Now in 2026 they are priced at $2.49 per 2-pound bags.
DollarGeneral.com has their brand, Clover Valley Great Northern Beans, 32-ounce bag (2-pounds) is priced at $3.50. Now in 2026 Clover Valley Great Northern Beans, 16-ounce bags are priced at $1.75. At the time of my price comparison they no longer had the 32-ounce bags.
Amazon.com has the Camellia brand for a pack of two 1 pound bags of dry great northern beans priced for $12.95. Now in 2026 two 1 pound bags are $12.97.
I was quite surprised to find that the prices of dried great northern beans have remained relatively stable since my initial price checks in 2022.
Regardless of where you choose to purchase them, one pound of dried great northern beans yields approximately six cups of cooked, drained beans. Consequently, a one-pound package of dried beans can produce nearly nine servings of cooked great northern beans or twelve to fourteen servings of ham and bean soup, depending on the amount of meat added.
References:
Nutrition Facts for Great Northern Beans. (n.d.). myfooddata. https://tools.myfooddata.com/nutrition-facts/175191/wt1
Great northern beans by Goya Foods, Inc. nutrition facts and analysis. (n.d.). Nutritional Values For Common Foods And Products. https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Great_northern_beans_by_Goya_Foods,_Inc._404442_nutritional_value.html?size=100+g
Beans, canned, mature seeds, great northern nutrition facts and analysis. (n.d.). Nutritional Values For Common Foods And Products. https://www.nutritionvalue.org/Beans,_canned,_mature_seeds,_great_northern_nutritional_value.html
Carb Manager. (n.d.). Carb Manager. https://www.carbmanager.com/food-detail/md:4fa39d9b92516118b16bc0d092b7bc9b/great-northern-beans
CSCS, D. P. R. (2020, March 23). White Beans: Nutrition, Benefits, and More. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/white-beans-nutrition
{{MetaTags.title || 'Nutritionix'}}. (n.d.). Nutritionix. https://www.nutritionix.com/i/nutritionix/canned-great-northern-beans-drained-and-rinsed-1-cup/5a96d046a29e32c36308e92a
Calories in Great Northern Beans, boiled | CalorieKing. (n.d.). Food Nutrition Facts and Free Calorie Counter | CalorieKing. https://www.calorieking.com/us/en/foods/f/calories-in-fresh-or-dried-legumes-beans-great-northern-beans-boiled/TEmOk4WvQ3iPjJuH6RvKfQ
Kalorien in Great Northern Bean, Boiled, No Added Salt – Nährwerte und Ernährungsinformationen. (n.d.). Offizielle Website von Fitbit für Aktivitäts-Tracker und mehr. https://www.fitbit.com/foods/Great+Northern+Bean+Boiled+No+Added+Salt/7667