Beans and rice, basically an essential in all diets, am I right? While in the traditional sense these might be two boring foods, these Zesty Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice are anything but bland. The best part? It is literally a NO FAIL recipe… the hardest part is waiting for the rice to steam without peaking under the lid (seriously, DON’T DO IT if you want it to be fluffy and soft).

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Zesty Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice came together as a make-shift plant-based bowl from one of many Mexican themed dinner parties at my mom’s house.  When I stopped eating meat, I simply went for the “sides” at dinner and found I didn’t miss the excess protein one bit, since both the beans and rice pack a flavor punch.  Plus, when topped with the Ultimate Guacamole, I could literally eat a bottomless bowl of this dinner.

While of course both of these recipes could simply be used a side dish for any other meal, it’s totally unnecessary since black beans are a nutritional powerhouse all on their own, packing 8g of protein per half cup, in addition to equal amounts of fiber, and 10% of your daily iron needs, an extra benefit for vegans, as iron is harder to come by without meat. With over 30% of RDA per half cup, these legumes are also a good source of folate, a B-vitamin used to help produce white + red blood cells and convert carbohydrates into energy.  If you haven’t been a fan of beans to date, I promise, you need to try this Zesty Black Bean recipe!

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While white rice doesn’t add a lot of nutrition, I am determined to debunk the myth it’s “bad” for you.  White rice actually has less calories and fat per serving, while only lagging brown rice in .8g of protein per cup and 2g of fiber… both unconcerning if you get your protein and fiber from other sources- like beans!  Plus, white rice is the ONLY starch that doesn’t create gas you in your stomach, and is the most easily digestible food in the world. (Which is why it’s been eaten amongst cultures across the globe for thousands of years).

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I hope you enjoy this simple yet flavorful meal as much as I do- I can’t wait to hear what you think!

 

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