As a Frenchie owner you know just how food-orientated they are. If your Frenchie is anything like our dog Claude, they just love to hover around in the kitchen whilst you are cooking, snaffling up anything that drops on the floor, including spilt beans!
But, are beans safe for French Bulldogs to eat? Can they be toxic, poisonous, or dangerous to their digestive systems?
Are beans safe for Frenchies to eat?
It’s a question I wanted to answer in great detail today, because as a vegetarian family, we have a lot of bean dishes being prepared in our house. With a kid, a lot of food also gets dropped onto the floor, which Claude is onto in a flash.
Can French Bulldogs eat beans? Yes, Frenchies can eat beans as long as it’s in moderation and no more than 10% of their daily calories. There are some beans however that can be toxic to a French Bulldog and are not safe to eat, particularly when raw and uncooked. Read the full list of bean types below to find out which are safe and which could be poisonous.
That’s the short answer, but there is a lot more to it. This include whether Frenchies can eat beans straight from a can, whether baked beans are okay, how you should prepare beans for your Frenchie, should they be cooked first, and what other ingredients you simply must avoid at all costs.
Why beans are good for French Bulldogs (in moderation)
Beans are okay for Frenchie to eat, but as long as they have been soaked and cooked, and don’t have any other ingredients added. Beans can help to regulate your Frenchie’s blood sugar levels, and have lots of good stuff in, including:
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Antioxidants.
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Iron.
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Potassium.
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Protein.
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Magnesium.
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Vitamins A, C, K.
However, please be warned… Frenchies are farting machines, and we all know what beans can do to a digestive system!
That’s why beans should only be fed in moderation to your Frenchie, perhaps as a treat snack, or as a small part of a French Bulldog raw diet.
Can French Bulldog eat canned beans?
Frenchies should not be fed beans straight from a can, or beans that have been produced in a tin. Avoid canned beans because they can be very high in salty sodium, preservatives, and even have chemicals in them unsuitable for dogs.
Can French Bulldogs eat green beans and runner beans?
Green beans are one of the more popular beans that are safe to feed to a French Bulldog due to the important vitamins and minerals they contain. These include calcium, iron, protein, and vitamins A, B6, C, and K.
In fact, our vet even recommends our Frenchie has green beans occasionally in his diet as a safe and healthy treat… but like with all human foods, it should be in moderation.
However, you should avoid green beans that have any of the following:
- Canned green beans which have added sodium/salt.
- Green beans that have been cooked in oils or spices.
- Green beans that were prepared with onion and garlic.
- Large green beans that could present a choking hazard.
If you decide to feed your French Bulldog runner beans or string beans, make sure the beans are taken out of the outer skin before cooking. The outer husk and stringy elements could make them choke.
Can French Bulldogs eat baked beans in tomato sauce?
No, French Bulldogs should not eat baked beans that are canned and in tomato sauce. Baked beans are tinned with lots of ingredients that are bad for dogs including sugars and high fat levels.
Tomatoes should also be avoided as there can be traces of solanine which is toxic to dogs (read more about the risks). With baked beans being covered in tomato sauce, it’s another potential danger. Whilst extremely slim, you should not feed your Frenchie baked beans.
Please don’t panic though; if your Frenchie has eaten a small amount of baked beans, he will probably be fine. However, in large and regular quantities, over time, baked beans can lead to pancreatitis and damaged red blood cells.
Can French Bulldogs eat kidney beans?
Yes, French Bulldogs can eat kidney beans in moderation, but they must be cooked first. They contain antioxidants that can help to prevent disease and maintain a healthy level of cholesterol.
However, you must never, ever, let your French Bulldog eat raw kidney beans. Kidney beans that are raw and uncooked can contain a dangerous toxin.

Can French Bulldogs eat black beans?
Frenchies can eat black beans as they are safe when cooked, containing essential elements such as fiber, protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. These beans could even help make your Frenchie’s immune system stronger and regulate blood sugar levels.
Beans that are safe for your Frenchie to eat
Now I’ve covered off the most popular types of beans your Frenchie might come across in the kitchen, I wanted to just bullet point a few more and re-cap. I would recommend printing this section off and pinning it to your refrigerator.
Important: Never feed your Frenchie raw beans. Beans should always be washed and cooked before serving, with no additional ingredients.
All of these beans can be fed in moderation… and not in large quantities, just as a small snack or treat making up for no more than 10% of their daily calories.
- Black beans and black-eyed beans.
- Butter beans.
- Edamame beans.
- Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas).
- Green beans (but not broad or fava).
- Kidney beans (but not raw).
- Lentils.
- Lima beans.
- Mashed beans (but not mashed with dairy products).
- Mung beans.
- Navy beans.
- Pinto beans.
- Soybeans.
Beans that you SHOULD NOT FEED your Frenchie
To re-cap, here is an easy to print out list of beans that your Frenchie should avoid eating and the reasons why they could be dangerous.
- Baked beans: As already discussed, they contain ingredients that are very unhealthy for dogs in general. Some canned baked beans also contain onions and garlic which are toxic to dogs.
- Canned or tinned beans: Cans and tins are packed full of preservatives and additives designed to help the food last longer. There will be lots of chemicals and salt in the cans which are not good for your dog.
- Chili beans: Bean recipes that are chili based tend to contain a lot of garlic, onion, and spices. These are all components that can play havoc with your Frenchie’s digestive system.
- Coffee beans: Caffeine is very dangerous to dogs because it contains an element called theobromine (which is why chocolate is also toxic to Frenchies). Coffee beans and expresso beans can lead to brain damage and even a fatality if consumed in large quantities.
- Fava beans: Also known as broad beans, they have to be completely avoided. They are known to induce abdominal problems, diarrhea, and vomiting (read more about Frenchie vomiting).
- Jelly beans: It’s obvious, but don’t feed jelly beans to your Frenchie as they contain huge amounts of sugar and can be very harmful to a dog’s diet.
- Raw red kidney beans: As discussed earlier, whilst cooked kidney beans are okay in moderation, raw kidney beans are not a safe food choice for a Frenchie.
- Refried and fried beans: The way these beans are cooked means they should be avoided. Fried and refried beans contain preservatives and seasonings such as cumin, chili, garlic, and salt; all things dogs should not eat. Plus, fried food is never great in a canine diet.
How to prepare and feed beans to your French Bulldog
I’ve already discussed in a little detail about how best to feed your Frenchie beans, but it does need to be recapped, as there are dangers and risks involved if not done safely.
For example, beans should never constitute more than 10% of your Frenchie’s diet.
Here’s how to prepare and feed them:
- Wash and clean the beans first: You should run the beans under cold water and through a sieve for a couple of minutes. If you do decide to risk canned beans, this is also a great way to wash away the sodium levels.
- Cook the beans: Some people say raw and fresh beans are okay, but I prefer to err on the side of caution. Either boil or steam the beans first.
- Don’t add anything: Avoid adding any seasonings, in particular ingredients such as salt, spices, onion, garlic, or sauces. Dogs should eat plain beans, nothing added.
- Mash the beans up: Due to the nature of beans, they can be choked on, so I would recommend you mash them up first before serving. Mashed beans will be digested a lot easier than whole cooked beans.
- Serve with another food type: I also recommend adding the mashed beans into another food your Frenchie is used to eating, such as their dry or wet food.
Conclusion
I feel I should labor the point a little bit more about why the beans should be cooked first, and only fed to your Frenchie in moderation.
Beans contain a protein called lechitins. These can lead to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting if not eliminated by the cooking process. As you might have guessed already, lechitins are in higher concentration in red kidney beans, but a lot lower in green beans.
That means, I recommend above all, you let your Frenchie eat green beans, and probably don’t really stray from this bean type.
They can be a great addition to your Frenchie’s diet, with various minerals and vitamins that will help keep your dog healthy and happy.
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Whilst on the subject of safe foods to eat, here are some essential reads if you want to make sure that you don’t risk the health of your Frenchie with what are intended to be human foods: