Butter beans (lima beans in North America) are large, flat, cream-coloured beans with a rich, starchy, creamy texture. They provide excellent plant protein, fibre, folate, potassium, manganese, and iron. Their substantial size and meaty texture make them one of the most satisfying legumes to eat as a main dish component.
Soak overnight, drain, and simmer in fresh water 60-90 minutes; dried butter beans take longer than most beans. Add only at the end of soups to preserve their shape, or cook separately.
Where Butter Beans (Lima) Stands Out
Macronutrients per 100g
Glycemic Index & Load
Low GI food — causes a slow, steady rise in blood sugar. Ideal for sustained energy, blood glucose control, and reducing insulin demand.
Glycemic Load (GL = GI × carbs ÷ 100) accounts for portion size. A low GL means this food has minimal real-world blood sugar impact.
Vitamins & Minerals
| Nutrient | Per 100g | % Daily Value* | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 1,700 mg | 85% | |
| Phosphorus | 320 mg | 46% | |
| Magnesium | 190 mg | 51% | |
| Calcium | 85.0 mg | 11% | |
| Chloride | 47.0 mg | 6% | |
| Iron | 5.90 mg | 42% | |
| Niacin equivalents (NE) | 5.60 mg | 35% | |
| Zinc | 2.80 mg | 28% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.50 mg | 16% | |
| Manganese | 1.70 mg | 85% | |
| Pantothenic Acid (B5) | 1.30 mg | 22% | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-TE) | 1.13 mg | 9% | |
| Copper | 0.740 mg | 74% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.510 mg | 36% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.450 mg | 41% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.130 mg | 9% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin A (RE) | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.000 µg | 0% | |
| Vitamin C | 0.000 mg | 0% | |
| Polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) | 0.800 g | — | |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.100 g | — | |
| Sucrose | 3.60 g | — | |
| Glucose (dextrose) | 0.000 g | — | |
| Maltose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Fructose | 0.000 g | — | |
| Cholesterol | 0.000 mg | — | |
| Glutamic acid | 3.44 g | — | |
| Aspartic acid | 2.10 g | — | |
| Leucine | 1.54 g | — | |
| Arginine | 1.43 g | — | |
| Lysine | 1.39 g | — | |
| Valine | 1.07 g | — | |
| Phenylalanine | 0.993 g | — | |
| Serine | 0.860 g | — | |
| Isoleucine | 0.860 g | — | |
| Proline | 0.860 g | — | |
| Alanine | 0.802 g | — | |
| Threonine | 0.745 g | — | |
| Tyrosine | 0.669 g | — | |
| Glycine | 0.669 g | — | |
| Histidine | 0.497 g | — | |
| Methionine | 0.306 g | — | |
| Cysteine | 0.287 g | — | |
| Tryptophan | 0.248 g | — | |
| Retinol (vitamin A) | 0.000 µg | 0% |
* % Daily Value is the proportion of an adult
EU Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) supplied by 100g of this food.
NRVs are the labelling standard — the same basis as the “%RI” figures printed on
food packaging — so these percentages are directly comparable with a shop label.
They are a single adult figure and do not vary by age or sex, which is why they
sometimes differ from UK dietary reference values: the NRV for vitamin C is 80mg
where the UK RNI is 40mg. When Nutriofia assesses your own intake in the
reports and trackers, it uses the age- and sex-specific UK values instead.
Fibre is shown without a percentage. Our fibre values use the UK
Englyst NSP method, while the published 30g daily goal is an AOAC figure — the two
are measured differently and a single percentage would mislead.
How we source and normalise our data →
Phytochemicals
Bioactive plant compounds — not classified as essential nutrients but associated with a range of health benefits.