Rice and Beans (Meal Prep Friendly)

This Rice and Beans recipe is simple, affordable, and deeply nourishing-but with a twist. I use a 7-grain rice blend with four types of beans cooked together, then portion and freeze it to boost resistant starch and support better blood sugar balance. Make once and eat all week.

Cooked rice and beans in a large glass bowl.

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🔍 Quick Look: Rice and Beans

⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
🎛️ Cook Time: 60 minutes
👥 Servings: 9
📊 Calories: ~308 kcal per 1 cup serving (based on nutrition panel)
👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: hearty, earthy, mildly savory, and comforting
💪🏼 Nutrition: 14 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber
⭐ Difficulty: easy, mostly hands-off, minimal prep, (just soaking, simmering, and combining)

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🔍 Quick Look: Rice and Beans
👩🏽‍⚕️ Nutritionist's Note
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🌱 Substitutions
📝 How to Make Rice and Beans
🫘 Using Canned Beans
🌾 Shop Exact Ingredients and Tools
✔️ Storage, Meal Prep & Reheating Tips
🍚 More Rice and Beans Recipes
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🍽️ Related Recipes
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
Rice and Beans Recipe
💬 Comments

👩🏽‍⚕️ Nutritionist's Note

Rice and beans are a staple across cultures because they're affordable, filling, and nutritionally balanced. What I love here is the upgrade: using multiple beans adds broader nutrient diversity, cooling and reheating increases resistant starch (which may help blunt glucose spikes), and portioning into ½-cup servings makes it easy to build balanced, satisfying meals.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is not your typical rice and beans recipe-and here's why:

More plant points: A 7-grain mix plus four types of beans adds 11 plant points
Higher in fiber from multiple beans
Perfect for meal prep (freezer-friendly portions)
Supports blood sugar balance with resistant starch
Flexible: works with any grain or rice
One-pot beans for maximum simplicity

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.

Seven grains mix with rice, chickpeas, navy beans, black eyed peas, and pinto beans.

Pinto beans: Creamy and soft, these help bring the mixture together.
Chickpeas: Firmer than the other beans, they add more bite and hold their shape well.
Navy beans: Mild, tender, and great for balancing the texture.
Black-eyed peas: Soft and earthy, they cook well with the other beans and add even more variety.
Seven Grains Rice Mix: Using a rice and grain mix adds more texture, fiber, and interest than plain rice. That said, regular rice works too.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🌱 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

Grain: Use white rice, brown rice, red rice, black rice, quinoa, farro, or barley instead of the 7-grain mix
Beans: Swap any of the four beans with black beans or great northern beans (keep similar cook times). Or use 1 cup of one type of dried bean instead of the mix, or about 3 cups cooked canned beans (drained and rinsed).
Higher protein: Add cooked lentils or edamame
Flavor boost: Add garlic, bay leaf, onion, bouillon cubes, or cumin while cooking beans
Broth instead of water: Adds more depth if desired
Spice variations: Add chili powder, smoked paprika, smashed garlic, bay leaf, or peppercorns
Add-ins: Mix in sautéed kale or greens, chopped roasted veggies, nut-free pesto, or tahini sauce when serving

📝 How to Make Rice and Beans

The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.

Use fresh dried beans. Older beans can take much longer to cook and may never fully soften. If your beans have been sitting in the pantry for a while, it's best to replace them. Soak beans for about 6 hours to improve digestion and reduce cook time.

Navy beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, and black eyed peas soaking.

Rinse beans well after soaking to remove debris and excess starch.

Beans in a saucepan with water to cover.

Always cook beans in fresh water (not soaking water). Keep beans fully submerged while cooking for even tenderness. Avoid overcooking or beans will become mushy.

Simmer gently to avoid splitting the skins, season the cooking water with smashed garlic, onion, and a bay leaf to build flavor, add salt toward the end to keep the beans tender, and check doneness across bean types since some may cook faster than others.

Drain the beans as soon as they're tender. This stops the cooking process immediately and prevents them from becoming too soft or mushy.

Cooking the seven grain mx with rice in a saucepan.

Cook grains separately for best texture (beans take longer).

Cooked seven grain mix with rice in a covered saucepan.

Let grains sit covered 5 minutes after cooking, then fluff.

Seven grain rice mix fluffed with a fork.

Fluff the grain properly. Gently fluff with a fork. This separates the grains, releases excess steam, and prevents clumping.

Mix the rice and beans, then transfer to a baking sheet or large plate and spread into a thin, even layer so the steam can escape. Let cool to room temperature, then portion and refrigerate or freeze. Avoid leaving it in a hot pot-it traps heat and slows cooling.

Cooked rice and beans divided into portions in a freezer-safe container.

Portion into ½ cups for easy, consistent serving sizes.

Frozen cooked rice and beans in one-half cup portions in a freezer-safe container.

Remove frozen portions and reheat as needed.

Frozen rice and beans in single serve portions.

Reheat in the microwave (cover and heat 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway), in a saucepan (add a splash of water, cover, and warm over low heat), or in the oven (cover and heat at 300°F until warmed through).

Seven grain rice mix with garbanzos, navy beans, black eyed peas, and pinto beans in a white dish.

Serve as a complete meal: Pair with a protein, add veggies, and finish with a sauce or dressing for balance and flavor.

🫘 Using Canned Beans

Short on time? Canned beans work well here.

How much to use: About 3 cups total cooked beans (roughly two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
Prep: Drain and rinse well to remove excess sodium and improve flavor
When to add: Stir into the cooked grain once everything is ready
Heat gently: Warm through briefly-no long cooking needed
Texture tip: Choose firm beans so they hold their shape when mixed
Flavor tip: Add salt and any seasonings after combining since canned beans are already seasoned

🌾 Shop Exact Ingredients and Tools

Below is a PDF with the complete list of beans, grain, cookware, and storage items I used to make this recipe.

Rice & Beans Recipe Links Download

✔️ Storage, Meal Prep & Reheating Tips

These simple steps help preserve freshness and flavor:

Cool before storing: Let the rice and beans cool completely before transferring to containers. This improves texture and supports resistant starch formation.
Portion for ease: Divide into ½-cup or 1-cup portions so you can grab exactly what you need.
Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freeze for longer storage: Freeze portions for up to 3 months. Smaller portions thaw faster and more evenly. Label and date: Especially helpful if you batch cook regularly.
Reheat from fridge: Microwave covered for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway, or warm in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water.
Reheat from frozen: Microwave covered for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway, or thaw overnight in the fridge first for best texture. Stovetop method: Add a splash of water, cover, and heat gently, stirring occasionally until warmed through. Oven option: Cover and heat at 300°F until hot (best for larger portions). Avoid overheating: This helps prevent the grains from drying out and the beans from becoming mushy.
Build meals easily: Pair reheated portions with veggies, a protein, and a sauce or dressing for a quick, balanced meal.

🍚 More Rice and Beans Recipes

This easy Vegan Red Beans and Rice recipe is a healthy version of the traditional Louisiana dish.

Try my Cowboy Rice Salad with black beans, corn, and avocado, tossed in a tangy 4-ingredient dressing.

This 20-minute vegan Baja Bowl recipe is healthy, easy, and packed with flavor.

My vegan high-protein Refried Bean Bowl is packed with plant-based protein. A one-pot, easy, no-chop recipe, with homemade vegan ranch dressing.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

What's the secret to flavorful rice and beans?

Layer simple flavors. Cook the beans with aromatics like garlic, onion, or bay leaf, salt at the end, and finish with something bright like lemon juice or vinegar. Even a simple sauce or dressing at the end makes a big difference.

What kind of beans are best for rice and beans?

Use beans with similar cook times if cooking together. Pinto beans, chickpeas, navy beans, and black-eyed peas work well here. You can also swap in black beans, kidney beans, or great northern beans depending on what you have.

How to cook beans for diabetics?

Focus on texture and timing. Soak, cook until tender (not mushy), and let them cool before eating or freezing to increase resistant starch. Pair with whole grains, fiber-rich veggies, and healthy fats to help support more stable blood sugar levels.

What is good to mix with rice and beans?

Add vegetables (like sautéed greens, peppers, or roasted veggies), a protein if you want more staying power, and a sauce or dressing for flavor. Think tahini, salsa, chimichurri, or a simple lemon-garlic dressing.