Less Than 500 Calories in Less Than 5 Minutes

I often hear how healthy, quick meals don't exist. So many people seem to think quick meals only come from one of today's many fast food chain restaurants (or sodium and saturated fat laced frozen entrees) and therefore healthy meals are not an option unless they slave over a hot stove for hours a day just like their mother and grandmother did before them. WRONG! I say! There are options out there! Sometimes we just have to be a little creative and step outside the box. One of my favorite quick dishes is rice and beans. Add a little avocado for a twist and a little salsa for a kick! In 5 minutes you can exuberantly say 'hello quick, easy, healthy 5 minute meal!'

Rice and Beans with Avocado and Salsa
1 cup cooked brown rice = 200 calories, 5 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 4 grams fiber
1/2 cup black beans= 130 calories, 10 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 5 grams fiber
1/2 avocado= 150 calories, 2 grams protein, 15 grams fat, 7 grams fiber
2 tbsp salsa= 10 calories, 0 grams protein, 0 grams fat, 0 grams fiber

Total meal= 490 calories, 17 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat, 16 grams of fiber

I often buy my rice from Trader Joe's that either comes frozen or prepackaged on the shelf. There are no added preservatives. (If you don't have this option, Uncle Ben's has a 5 minute brown rice. With this you'll have to extend your meal preparation time to say....8 minutes?! I still think it's doable, right?) Put rice in the microwave for 3 minutes or until hot. By no means would I suggest against using dry beans (quite the contrary as I prefer them,) but I know that sometimes the extra time just isn't there. Go right ahead and use canned beans. To get rid of the extra sodium, drain, rinse, and redrain the beans. (They get a little foamy at first, but keep rinsing and the foam dissipates.) Put beans in the microwave for a minute or until hot. In the mean time, peel the avocado and dice it up. Yes, yes, yes, avocado is high in fat; I know! BUT, it is high in healthy monounsaturated fat! Tell your doctor you used avocado instead of butter and he/she'll be very pleased! (You can tell your dietitian too! He/she'll also be pleased!) Last but not least, if you like spice in your life, add salsa. Salsa is very low calorie. It's a great addition to almost any meal and there are multiple varieties out there. Put all ingredients in a bowl, mix and voila! You now have a healthy <500 calorie meal in <5 minutes! Try it and enjoy!