Fast & Healthy Rice & Beans
This past week I was dealing with a painful tooth issue and needed to eat softer foods for a few days. In the process, I was reminded of how fast, easy, healthy, and delicious rice and beans are.
We had some cooked long grain brown basmati rice but you can really use any kind that you want. I put some rice into a pan with a can of black beans, half an avocado and some salsa* and my meal was ready in less than 5 minutes.
Rice and beans are a great plant-based source of protein and antioxidants. They’re also high in fiber, which many people aren’t getting enough of.
Recommendations for women are 25 grams of fiber per day.
One half cup of beans provides approximately 7 grams of fiber, which helps to regulate blood sugar, can improve our gut health, and also helps to keep us “regular” (i.e., bowel movements).
What’s not to love?
Ingredients: (2-3 servings)
1 cup of cooked brown rice**
1 15 oz. can of black beans (or other beans of your choice), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup of salsa, more or less depending on your taste
1/2 avocado, diced
Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to a pan.
Heat over medium heat until warm, stirring frequently, and enjoy.
*My original plan included salsa and this is the easiest way to make this recipe, BUT I was out of salsa. Plan B included sauteing a small onion and 1/2 of a large poblano pepper (both diced and approximately 1/2 cup each) in a tsp of olive oil until soft. I then added 1/2 cup of crushed tomatoes to this to make my own “salsa” with the ingredients I had.
**Rice contains trace amount of arsenic and needs to be rinsed well before (or after) cooking it.
