Is Brown Rice and Black Beans a Healthy Meal?

Like many Latinos, I grew up eating rice and beans. Things got more difficult when I moved out and had to cook my own meals.

Rice and beans were the foundation of many vegetarian diets … so from that lens it seemed healthy. This didn’t seem to fit with what I was hearing from the low-carb crowd, though. They said rice should be avoided at all costs and beans should be avoided as well.

As I worked toward my master’s degree in nutrition, I learned about how traditional food pairs like rice and beans have been good for people’s health for a very long time.

So yes, rice and beans is healthy. In fact, there are some unique nutrition benefits to this food combination!.

Want to know more? Keep reading! We’ll talk about how rice and beans are good for you and how important they are for feeding people around the world. I’ll also share tips on how to get the most nutrition out of your rice and beans.

Brown rice and black beans is a classic meal combo seen in many cultures. This nutritious pairing of whole grains and legumes offers a tasty plant-based meal that provides protein, fiber and key vitamins and minerals. Keep reading to learn more about the nutrition profile and health benefits of eating brown rice and black beans.

Nutritional Breakdown

Here is the nutritional profile of 1 cup cooked brown rice and 1 cup cooked black beans. according to the USDA

Calories: 445
Fat: 8g
Saturated fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 307mg
Carbohydrates: 84g
Fiber: 15g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 15g

This provides a significant portion of key daily nutrients:

45% daily value (DV) fiber
30% DV protein
60% DV folate
45% DV magnesium
20% DV iron

Benefits of Brown Rice

Brown rice is a 100% whole grain that contains the bran and germ making it more nutritious than refined white rice. Here are some of the top benefits of brown rice

High in Manganese – One cup provides over 90% of your daily manganese, which aids metabolism and bone health.
Rich in Selenium – Brown rice is high in selenium, an antioxidant mineral that supports immune function.
Source of Magnesium – Provides 21% of the DV for magnesium per serving, helping regulate blood pressure.
Promotes Satiety – The fiber in brown rice helps you feel full and satisfied after a meal.
Low Glycemic – Brown rice is absorbed more slowly, helping control blood sugar levels.
High in Antioxidants – Contains antioxidants like lignans to protect cells from damage.
Improves Heart Health – Linked to lower cholesterol levels and reduced heart disease risk.

Benefits of Black Beans

Black beans are loaded with fiber, plant-based protein, antioxidants and key micronutrients. Here are some top benefits of black beans:

High in Fiber – One cup provides a whopping 30% of the daily recommended fiber intake.
Promote Heart Health – The fiber, folate, magnesium and potassium support heart health.
Stabilize Blood Sugar – The fiber and protein help slow digestion and maintain even blood sugar.
Boost Digestion – Black beans contain resistant starch to promote digestive health.
Provide Plant-Based Protein – Contain 15 grams protein per cup to support muscle growth.
Improve Cholesterol – May help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.
Antioxidant Effects – Packed with anthocyanins, antioxidants that reduce inflammation.

Complete Plant-Based Protein

Together, brown rice and black beans form a complete protein. Individually, each food is lower in certain essential amino acids. But combined, they provide all nine essential amino acids required in the diet.

Getting protein from plants rather than animal sources offers health perks. Plant proteins are naturally lower in unhealthy saturated fats that are common in meat and dairy.

Meal Prep Tips

Here are some tips for preparing healthy brown rice and black bean meals:

Cook beans from scratch for lowest sodium or opt for no-salt added canned beans.
Flavor beans with onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice and cilantro.
Make a big batch of brown rice and beans to use throughout the week.
Turn into burrito bowls with shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole and Greek yogurt.
Stuff into whole grain tortillas for burritos or lettuce wraps for a low-carb option.
Top salads with brown rice and black beans for an easy high-protein addition.
Enjoy brown rice and beans with grilled chicken or fish for extra protein.
Mix with roasted veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, squash or Brussels sprouts.
Make veggie fried rice with brown rice, peas, carrots, onions and egg.
Add avocado, cheese or pumpkin seeds to rice and beans for healthy fats.

Potential Concerns

Eating brown rice and beans as part of a balanced diet is very healthy. However, there are a couple things to keep in mind:

Phytic acid – Beans contain phytic acid, which impairs mineral absorption. Soaking beans helps reduce phytic acid. Consuming beans with foods high in vitamin C also improves mineral absorption.
Digestive issues – Some find beans hard to digest due to compounds like raffinose. Gradually increasing bean intake and cooking beans well can help improve digestibility. Taking digestive enzymes or probiotics may also be beneficial.
Arsenic – Rice has been shown to absorb nonorganic arsenic from water and soil. To reduce exposure, source rice from arsenic-free regions when possible and rinse thoroughly before cooking.

The Bottom Line

Brown rice and black beans are a match made in nutritional heaven. This fiber- and protein-packed duo provides steady energy, antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals. Enjoying this plant-based meal regularly is a healthy choice that protects against chronic disease. Just be mindful of preparation techniques to enhance digestion and nutrient absorption.

is brown rice and black beans a healthy meal

Embrace recipes that add extra veggies and seasonings

Not every bean recipe has to have a lot of extra ingredients to be “authentic.” Frijoles de la olla are fairly simple, for example.

But you can get some extra health benefits from bean recipes that use herbs, spices, and vegetables.

Cooking beans with herbs and spices like onions, bay leaves, and coriander can increase the antioxidant activity of the bean dish (6).

And eating meals that have been cooked with sofrito (like Cuban black beans) can decrease inflammation. For more information on the health benefits of sofrito, check out my blog post on this topic.

Health benefits of rice and beans

Rice and beans separately have their own nutrition benefits.

Rice is an efficient way of providing energy. Fortified rice is common in the United States. This may explain why eating rice is associated with higher intake of folic acid and iron in the United States (1).

And beans, of course, are a great source of fiber and lean plant-based protein. They’re also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. For a more complete look at the health benefits of beans, check out this blog post.

Today, though, let’s talk about how eating rice and beans together is good for you.

is brown rice and black beans a healthy meal

Proteins are made up of amino acids. There are 9 essential amino acids that humans have to consume via food.

When a protein has all 9 essential amino acids, it’s called a complete protein. Most animal proteins are complete proteins, while most plant proteins are not.

In plants, you can find all nine essential amino acids, but not always in the same plant.

To get all the amino acids they need, vegetarians need to eat a wide range of plant-based proteins.

Enter the concept of complementary proteins. Complementary proteins are foods that provide all 9 essential amino acids together, but not separately. Rice and beans are complementary proteins.

If you only ate one or the other, you might not get all 9 essential amino acids. But if you eat rice and beans, you do.

*Note: You don’t have to eat all 9 of these at the same time to get everything you need. More like on the same day. But there are other health benefits to eating rice and beans at the same time. More on that below. ).

To believe that eating both rice and beans would be bad for your blood sugar is simple. Both are high in carbs. But this isn’t true.

Several studies have demonstrated that eating rice and beans together is better for your blood sugar than eating rice alone (2, 3).

This means that adding beans to your rice can help you eat white rice while keeping your blood sugar in check.

How Nutritious are Black Beans? | Health Benefits of Black Beans

FAQ

Are black beans and brown rice healthy?

Brown rice offers slightly more fiber than white rice, but most of the fiber still comes from the black beans. Black beans and rice offer other important nutrients, too. Specifically, you’ll get a dose of minerals like copper, manganese, magnesium and iron.

Are black beans and rice a complete meal?

Both are easy to grow, plentiful, and filling. The combination of beans and rice creates a complete protein. Beans alone and rice alone both lack certain essential amino acids. If eaten together, however, each contributes what the other is missing to form a complete protein.

Can I lose weight eating brown rice and beans?

The high satiety factors of rice and beans can help you lose weight or stay at a healthy weight over time. Satiety measures how satisfying a food is to eat and how long it keeps you full. Satiety is vital in maintaining a healthy weight.

Is black and brown rice good for you?

Both black rice and brown rice are good suppliers of vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of B vitamins like thiamin, niacin, and vitamin B6. These are necessary for the generation of energy, the functioning of the brain, and general health.