One of the questions I’m often asked is:

How can I eat healthy without going broke or spending hours in the kitchen?

My kitchen is my happy place, and I love spending lots of time there, but I know that time and patience to cook tend to be on the short side for most people.

That’s why I’m sharing a SUPER simple recipe with you today. It’s cheap, easy, quick AND delicious! You can have dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes. 🙂

When I finished making this dish for the first time, my husband Bill said, “You’re done already?”

Yup! It was that quick!

After his first bite, he gave me an “Oh yeah” and said this is one of his new favorite dishes. Success!

If you like Chipotle or Qdoba but don’t want to spend $8/person on a meal, this could be a new “go to” recipe for you. I bet it will become one of your favorites!

Chipotle Bowl 2

Here are a few keys to keep in mind when making your own quick and healthy meals, which served as the motivation to test out this recipe!

  • Cook more, dine out less. You will almost always pay more to dine out than to make a meal yourself. On average, a McDonald’s dinner for a family of four costs almost $7/person compared to a dinner based on rice and beans, like this one, which costs less than $2.50/person.
  • Make some of your meals meatless. Meat and dairy products and processed foods tend to be some of the most costly items on a grocery bill. Swapping out meat with beans – even one day a week – can help you save money…and time!
  • Eat vegan before 6:00 p.m. Mark Bittman was given the choice to either go on medication or adopt a vegan diet. He didn’t want to do either, so he started eating vegan before 6:00 and then having smaller portions of high quality animal products at dinnertime. He lost 35 pounds and didn’t have to go on medication. Click here to learn more about his story and book. In the meantime, check out this awesome recipe!

RNK Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Chipotle-Style Bean Burrito Bowl

This is one of the most popular recipes on my blog and is always a crowd pleaser, even for people who claim to dislike beans and avocado! It’s also one of the cheapest meals you can make for a group!

Base Ingredients

  • 1 29-ounce can (about 3 cups) black beans or pinto beans (drained and rinsed (I use Eden brand))
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice (heat up a precooked frozen bag!)
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce (chopped)
  • 1 jar salsa
  • 2 avocados (diced)

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/3 cup cilantro (chopped)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • Pinch cayenne pepper ((if you like some heat!))

  1. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients together.

  2. In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, salsa, avocado, and lettuce. Pour the vinaigrette on top, and toss all ingredients together to combine. Serve immediately.

If you want to save this for 2-3 days, add the lettuce and avocado when ready to serve to prevent browning and preserve freshness.

Optional add-ons: grilled or sautéed meat or seafood and/or sautéed veggies (onions, peppers…whatever you like!)

Optional topping: dairy-free sour cream