Looking for cheap healthy meal ideas? Here are 50 easy beans and rice recipes your whole family will love!
Last year, a friend of mine suggested that I share something along the lines of a Dave Ramsey meal plan to help you keep your grocery bill down while you’re on the “beans and rice, rice and beans” budget during baby steps one and two(you know, that phase where you sell so much stuff, the kids think they’re next?!). So, I wrote about My Dave Ramsey Meal Plan For a Beans and Rice Budget. It’s a printable meal plan that focuses on one week of super easy beans and rice dinners.
One bonus of doing some strict meal planning is that it ultimately saves timeandmoney.
Plus, I think easy beans and rice recipes are great for keeping you out of the drive through lane on busy nights. You usually don’t have to worry about pulling out meat to thaw beforehand; many of these dishes stand on their own.
We also know beans and rice are c-h-e-a-p to make, and recent research has suggested they’re healthy, too. Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Eat To Live) is famous for recommending we consume beans in our diet every day, and little to no meat at all.
If planning your meals in advance is what’s hard for you, you might choose to use a meal planning service like the one Dave Ramsey shares on his show. It’s calledemeals(<– the link takes you to a free 14-day trial offer). There’s a small fee for their service, but they save you money overall, so many people find that it’s worth it overall. You pick and choose your meals, and they’ll have everything waiting for you at your local WalMart store for pick-up. No impulse purchases in the store either, since they bring it to your car. That’s pretty cool.
Now, without further ado, let’s move on to our easy beans and rice recipes! There’s a wide variety on this list, so whether you’re a meat eater, vegan, or vegetarian — you’ll find a few meals you’ll love, I’m sure!
Each day’s recipe is hyperlinked, so once you download it, you can click or tap each day’s dinner to be taken directly to that recipe. Or, if you prefer, you can print it out and hang it on the fridge!
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Seasoning – Garlic, onion, hot pepper (scotch bonnet peppers are my fave), Creole seasoning, thyme, bouillon powder, bay leaves, optional smoked paprika, and good ol' S&P pack a flavor punch.
When you eat plenty of rice and beans, you can easily get lean protein. Eating more protein can help you build muscle mass and maintain a healthy weight. These sides are a perfect choice if you are looking for a healthy source of protein without saturated fats or animal products!
"I recommend adding a fresh mango avocado salsa made with red onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to brighten up the dish. Because the beans and rice have so much earthiness, the fruit and acidity will lighten the plate. A margarita is always great, as well."
While canned beans are convenient, a pound of dried beans makes 8 cups of cooked beans—a little over 5 cans worth. And if I compare the price of canned beans to dried bulk beans, they're quite a bargain.
Dried beans cooked with sea salt and water are delicious, but adding an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot will make them even more flavorful!
Yes! "Eating beans, including canned beans, every day is one of the best things you can do to help increase nutrients [that you may fall short on] and substantially improve the quality of your diet," says Papanikolaou.
Many do not consider beans healthy when following a low carb diet as it is high in carbohydrates. However, along with carbs, beans also contain fiber (mostly soluble), which can help lower cholesterol level. Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans are the ones considered best for weight loss plan.
Gallopinto, the rice-and-beans combination, is known by many names across Latin America, some charming like casamiento (wedding) others rather dated and decidedly politically incorrect like moros y cristianos (Moors and Christians).
Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish.
Just warm them up and season with salt , pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, Chile powder. Some rice will pair with them nicely. If you can, dice up some smoked sausage and throw it in; a little goes a long way. I don't eat those sweet bean either, unless I'm having a BBQ.
All canned beans have been cooked, and in the canning process they are heated more. You don't say what kind of beans they are, but obviously some types are more palatable when heated up. But I like green beans or the 'baked beans' or 'pork and beans' cold from their can.
You can season your rice with a variety of herbs, spices, broths, milks or sauces. If you prefer a Mediterranean flavor profile, cook your rice using chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic and onion. For a rich and creamy rice dish with a kick, cook the rice in coconut milk infused with spicy peppers.
Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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