This savory Quinoa and Black Bean Bowl is simple, tasty, healthy, vegan, and gluten-free.

To be honest, I discovered this meal by complete accident. We had quinoa in the fridge for the Healthy Quinoa Breakfast Bowl and some black beans from the previous night’s jerk chicken. I needed a quick lunch, so I grabbed an avocado from the counter and combined the three. I was shocked at how good it was, especially considering the absence of meat! To make it even better, it was super easy to make and nutritionally solid.

Handling the Avocado

The key to keeping the avocado in chunks and not smashing to the resemblance of baby food is simple. Make the cuts before removing the green flesh from the skin. Using a pairing knife, half the avocado, remove the pit, and make both horizontal and vertical cuts on each halve. Then, simply scoop the perfectly cut chunks out of the skin with a spoon.

Other Ingredient Tips

It is 100% possible to make this dish “organic”, if you choose. When cooking the black beans, I typically add a teaspoon or so of Flavorgod Everything to help develop flavor. The recipe calls for red quinoa. Regular quinoa works just as well, but I use red because it has a more nutty taste that adds depth to the dish. The choice is yours. Enjoy!

Quinoa and Black Bean Bowl

Ingredients

1 can black beans
1 cup red quinoa
1/4 red onion
1/2 Jalapeno
1 avocado
season to taste

Instructions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add the quinoa, reduce heat to low and cover for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally. A fork works great to break up the quinoa, or "fluff" it.
While the quinoa is cooking, place the beans and diced vegetables in a small pot/saucepan and bring to a boil. Season to taste. Reduce heat to low and let beans simmer until quinoa is fully cooked.
Halve, pit, and dice the avocado.
In a bowl, layer the quinoa, avocado, and beans (in that order) and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 314Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 554mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 16gSugar: 2gProtein: 13g

This healthy and filling Breakfast Bowl with quinoa, eggs, and fresh fruits and veggies is a great meal to start the day.

Over the past year, I have cleaned up my diet for various reasons but nearly all of them could be categorized under “improved overall health”. Earlier this year, I committed to a diet that spanned over a period of weeks, with the most strict portion lasting for approximately one week. During the peak of the diet, I abstained from salt, refined sugar, alcohol, red meat, pork, animal fats, saturated oils, and hot spices. This was no easy task, trust me, but the results were shocking!

Forty-eight hours in, I started to exhibit some pretty significant detox symptoms that had me feeling rough. What had I been “fueling” my body with!? Once I broke through the withdrawal barrier, I began to notice something. I felt great!! Not just physically, but mentally, too. Almost as if I had been given a shot of youth. I felt more springy and upbeat. Discussions with some friends that had undergone the same dietary rigors, led to the topic of our “second brain” and the relationship between digestion and mental health. If you are unaware of this connection, I encourage you to look into it.

I have yet to return to my previous dieting habits but my love for food may never allow me to completely omit certain items. So I maintain a rather healthy diet with minimal unnecessary additives and splurge when my crave meter gets into the red. I still feel great and my splurge meals are just that much more enjoyable.

Quick, Easy, Healthy

Now, this meal can be prepared fresh in about twenty minutes if you chop the fruit and vegetables and cook your eggs while the quinoa is simmering. However, if you prepare the quinoa ahead of time (let’s say Sunday evening), then you can reduce the cook time to the 4-6 minute range depending on how you like your eggs. My wife and I do this pretty much every week. Reheat the quinoa, chop the fruit/veggies while the eggs are frying, and we’re at the table in no time. Eggs, quinoa, lime, and avocado are the staples but we often add tomatoes, too. Occasionally, I’ll toss in some onion or jalapeno slices to shake things up a bit. What will you add?

Healthy Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
4 eggs
1/2 avocado
1/2 lime
Optional:
Jalapeno (diced)
onion (diced)
tomato (diced)
salt & pepper

Instructions

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil. Then, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. (Remember, making the quinoa prior and reheating will reduce your time significantly).
While the quinoa is cooking, place a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggs to your likeness. We stay somewhere between over-easy and over-medium for this recipe.
Slice the lime into wedges. Halve and pit the avocado. While still in the skin, make your preferred size of vertical slices. Once you've sliced the avocado, run a spoon between the flesh and skin to remove the edible part.
Place the eggs and avocado over the quinoa, squeeze your lime wedges over the top, and enjoy!
Optional: We add fresh diced tomatoes pretty regularly and, occasionally, jalapenos and onions. If you choose to do the same, I recommend squirting some extra lime over the fruits/veggies before you add them to the mix.

Notes

Want a little salt & pepper? Check out Flavorgod Himalayan Salt & Pink Peppercorn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 339Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 372mgSodium: 152mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 18g