Great northern beans are usually grown in the midwestern United States. They are a cream-colored bean similar in shape to the lima bean. They are bland in taste but absorb flavor well. Like most beans, you will need to sort through the beans and soak them before cooking. Nutritional values are based on a one-cup serving of beans, boiled without salt.Basic NutritionOne cup of boiled great northern beans contains 209 calories, 37.3 g of total carbohydrates and 12.4 g of dietary fiber. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this serving represents 12 percent of the recommended daily value, or DV, for carbohydrates. The beans are an excellent source of dietary fiber, providing 50 percent of DV. They also provide 14.7 g, or 29 percent DV, of protein.