What's in Bush's vs B&M Baked Beans? 570 vs 390mg Sodium

Neither original recipe is meat-free. Bush's lists cured bacon and B&M lists pork fat. Per 1/2 cup, Bush's lists 570 mg of sodium (25% DV) and B&M lists 390 mg (17% DV), both list 11 g of added sugar (22% DV), and B&M lists 8 g of fiber compared with 5 g for Bush's.

Key takeaways

• Both original recipes contain animal-derived ingredients: cured bacon in Bush's and pork fat in B&M.
• Per 1/2 cup, Bush's lists 570 mg sodium (25% DV) and B&M lists 390 mg (17% DV).
• Both list 11 g added sugar per 1/2 cup (22% DV).
• Per 1/2 cup, B&M lists 8 g fiber (29% DV) and Bush's lists 5 g (17% DV). Serving sizes and can sizes differ.
• Bush's lists caramel color, while B&M lists dextrose in its seasoning blend. Label values can change, so the can in hand is the final reference.

Attribute	Bush's Original	B&M Original
Serving size	1/2 cup (130g)	1/2 cup (131g)
Can sizes	8.3 oz, 16 oz, 16.5 oz, 21 oz, 28 oz, 55 oz, 117 oz	16 oz, 28 oz
Meat ingredient	Cured bacon	Pork fat
Sodium per 1/2 cup	570 mg (25% DV)	390 mg (17% DV)
Added sugar per 1/2 cup	11 g (22% DV)	11 g (22% DV)
Fiber per 1/2 cup	5 g (17% DV)	8 g (29% DV)
Calories per 1/2 cup	150	160
Total sugars per 1/2 cup	12 g	12 g

Are Bush's and B&M Original Baked Beans meat-free?

No. Neither original recipe is meat-free: Bush's lists cured bacon and B&M lists pork fat, so shoppers who avoid meat or pork should read the ingredient line on the can they buy.

Bush's places cured bacon after the phrase 'Contains 2% or Less of,' a labeling convention for ingredients present in amounts of 2% or less, which may be listed in any order. The brand's marketing copy describes the beans as slow-cooked with specially cured bacon. B&M's ingredient line names pork fat in the main list and does not use that 2% grouping. Neither brand page discloses how much bacon or pork fat is in the can.

Bacon is typically made from pork, but the Bush's ingredient line does not name the animal. People who avoid pork for personal, cultural, or religious reasons may want to note that B&M names pork fat directly.

Are Bush's baked beans vegetarian?

No. The original Bush's recipe lists Cured Bacon, so it is not vegetarian as labeled. This comparison covers the original recipes only.

What are the can sizes for Bush's and B&M Original Baked Beans?

B&M Original comes in 16 oz and 28 oz cans. Bush's Original is listed in seven sizes: 8.3 oz, 16 oz, 16.5 oz, 21 oz, 28 oz, 55 oz, and 117 oz.

On the 28 oz Bush's listing, the serving size is 1/2 cup (130g), with about 6 servings per can. B&M's nutrition panel says about 2 servings per container, but the page does not say which can size that panel represents, so per-can totals cannot be calculated for B&M from the panel alone.

Because sizes and panels vary, the numbers on the can in your store are the ones to compare. Label values can also vary by retailer and package size.

Are Bush's and B&M baked beans healthy?

Neither label makes a healthy-or-not determination; the panels show 570 mg and 390 mg sodium per 1/2 cup. Bush's page claims Low fat and Cholesterol free for its original beans, and B&M's page says its beans are 99% fat-free. Each claim covers one nutrient and does not address the full panel.

Questions about a particular diet are best taken to a doctor or registered dietitian, who can weigh the full nutrition panel against an individual's needs.

Are B&M baked beans healthy?

Neither label makes a healthy-or-not determination for B&M either. Its panel shows 390 mg sodium (17% DV), 11 g added sugar (22% DV), and 8 g fiber (29% DV) per 1/2 cup, and its page makes the 99% fat-free claim noted above.

How do the ingredient lists differ between Bush's and B&M Original Baked Beans?

Bush's starts with prepared navy beans, water, and brown sugar, while B&M starts with cooked pea beans, sugar, and molasses, according to the Bush's Original Baked Beans and B&M Original Baked Beans product pages. Both include salt, modified corn starch, and mustard, but the rest of each list differs.

• Bush's lists cured bacon, while B&M lists pork fat.
• Bush's lists caramel color, while B&M's list does not.
• B&M names molasses and includes dextrose inside its seasoning blend. Bush's list does not name dextrose.
• Bush's lists onion powder and garlic powder separately, while B&M lists dried onion and dried garlic inside a seasoning blend.
• Bush's breaks its mustard into water, vinegar, mustard seed, salt, paprika, and turmeric. B&M lists mustard without sub-ingredients.

What's in Bush's Original baked beans?

Bush's Original's ingredient line opens with 'prepared navy beans, water, brown sugar' and includes cured bacon and caramel color, with onion powder and garlic powder listed separately. The full line should be read on the can, since formulations may change.

Are B&M baked beans gluten free?

Whether B&M Original is gluten free is not disclosed, because the B&M page makes no gluten-free claim. Bush's product page makes a 'Gluten free' claim for its original beans. Check the gluten statement on the can you buy.

Is cured bacon in Bush's different from B&M's pork fat for label readers?

Yes, they are different ingredients, and the labels do not give enough detail to compare their amounts. Cured bacon is meat that has been treated with curing ingredients, while pork fat is fat from pork. Neither label states how much of either ingredient is in the can.

Bush's ingredient line does not name nitrite or nitrate. Its marketing copy says the beans are slow-cooked with specially cured bacon, which tells shoppers the bacon is cured but not which curing agents were used. B&M's line names pork fat and does not mention curing. Because quantities are not disclosed, this comparison cannot say which product contains more meat-derived material.

How much sodium is in Bush's vs B&M Original Baked Beans per 1/2 cup?

Bush's Original lists 570 mg of sodium per 1/2 cup (25% DV), and B&M Original lists 390 mg per 1/2 cup (17% DV). That is a difference of 180 mg on the two labels.

The FDA's Sodium in Your Diet page sets the Daily Value for sodium at less than 2,300 milligrams per day. Its general guide says 5% DV or less of sodium per serving is low, and 20% DV or more is high. Bush's lists 25% DV and B&M lists 17% DV.

Per-can totals are not calculated here because B&M's panel does not tie its servings to a specific can size.

For another sodium comparison in this cluster, see Campbell's vs Progresso Chicken Noodle: 2,100+ mg vs 1,320 mg Sodium.

How much added sugar is in Bush's vs B&M Original Baked Beans per 1/2 cup?

Both list 11 g of added sugars per 1/2 cup, which is 22% DV on each label, and both list 12 g of total sugars. The FDA's Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label page states that the Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet, and that 20% DV or more is a high source. Both labels show 22% DV.

The ingredient sources differ. Bush's uses brown sugar and does not name molasses. B&M lists sugar and molasses, and its page says the beans are sweetened with molasses and cane sugar. B&M's seasoning blend also lists dextrose, a simple sugar. The page does not break down how much of the 11 g comes from each sweetener.

For a different added sugar comparison, see Nature Valley vs Quaker Chewy: Which Has More Added Sugar?.

How much fiber is in Bush's vs B&M Original Baked Beans per 1/2 cup?

B&M Original lists 8 g of dietary fiber per 1/2 cup (29% DV), and Bush's Original lists 5 g (17% DV). The labels show a 3 g difference. B&M's page calls its beans an excellent source of fiber, while Bush's page uses the phrase good source of fiber.

Other panel values per 1/2 cup are close. Bush's lists 150 calories and 30 g total carbohydrate (11% DV), while B&M lists 160 calories and 32 g total carbohydrate (12% DV). Both list 7 g protein, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, and 0 mg cholesterol. Potassium is 370 mg (8% DV) for Bush's and 395 mg (8% DV) for B&M. Shoppers tracking fiber should compare the panel on the can they buy, since these values are printed for each brand's stated serving.

How can you check these two baked beans on a label?

Check the serving size, the can size, the meat ingredient, and the sodium and sugar Daily Values. The points below show what to compare.

• Serving size: 1/2 cup (130g) for Bush's, 1/2 cup (131g) for B&M.
• Can size: both brands list 16 oz and 28 oz cans; Bush's also lists 8.3, 16.5, 21, 55 and 117 oz.
• Meat ingredient: cured bacon in Bush's, pork fat in B&M.
• Color and seasoning: caramel color in Bush's, dextrose in B&M's seasoning blend.
• Sodium: 25% DV versus 17% DV per 1/2 cup.
• Added sugars: 11 g and 22% DV per 1/2 cup on both.
• Fiber: 5 g versus 8 g per 1/2 cup.

The FDA's guide to the Nutrition Facts label explains how serving size and %DV work: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label.

These figures come from each brand's product page, and the values on the can in your store may differ. Label values can vary by retailer and package size, and the B&M page notes that formulation and packaging may change. These label figures cannot show how either product affects any individual.