Why is beans and rice considered a high calorie meal?

Since making it on my own, it doesn't really have many calories for how filling it is. Made with chopped vegetables, a rice and beans meal always seems to be under 500 calories for me and full of lots of fiber and protein.

Replies

  • arrseegee
    arrseegee Posts: 575 Member
    I've never heard that is considered a high calorie meal. But I suppose if you were to eat 4 cups of it then yes it would provide a lot of calories
  • kowajenn
    kowajenn Posts: 274 Member
    500 to me is a lot for a meal but someone with different goals would feel otherwise. Eat what works for you!
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
    They're not high calorie foods at all-each serving has around 150 calories (both beans and brown rice). Add some veggies and mushrooms to either of them and you have a filling meal that makes you feel full for quite a while, for under 300 calories. I've never put the two together before-might have to try that!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    For me they're high in calories because they don't fill me up that much really... I'd feel fuller with some chicken breast and veggies or something. Mostly I think it's restaurants put a ton of stuff in them to make them worse.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    It's not if you do it right. I call this my 'lazyman lunch' and literally eat this 3-4 days a week.

    1/2c dry instant rice (makes about 3/4c when ready)
    1/2c black beans
    a few Tbsp of homemade salsa or chopped veggies.

    rice is 160 cal
    Beans are 120 cal
    Salsa is like 25 cal.

    305 calorie lunch and it's freaking delicious.

    Sometimes I get crazy and throw some grilled chicken or pork in there.


    The rice is from Safeway, its the kind you just add to boiling water and let re-hydrate for 5-8 minutes.
    The beans are canned ready to eat, pre-seasoned with garlic and onion from the store. I open a can, move it to a glass tupperware, add in a few sprigs of cilantro and keep it in the fridge.
    The salsa is homemade with garden tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and bell pepper, with a little salt and lime juice, then into a food processor. I keep it in a mason jar next to the beans.
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
    It's not if you do it right. I call this my 'lazyman lunch' and literally eat this 3-4 days a week.

    1/2c dry instant rice (makes about 3/4c when ready)
    1/2c black beans
    a few Tbsp of homemade salsa or chopped veggies.

    rice is 160 cal
    Beans are 120 cal
    Salsa is like 25 cal.

    305 calorie lunch and it's freaking delicious.

    Sometimes I get crazy and throw some grilled chicken or pork in there.


    The rice is from Safeway, its the kind you just add to boiling water and let re-hydrate for 5-8 minutes.
    The beans are canned ready to eat, pre-seasoned with garlic and onion from the store. I open a can, move it to a glass tupperware, add in a few sprigs of cilantro and keep it in the fridge.
    The salsa is homemade with garden tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, and bell pepper, with a little salt and lime juice, then into a food processor. I keep it in a mason jar next to the beans.
    What? They make pre-seasoned beans? I must look for these the next time I go shopping!
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    It's not if you do it right. I call this my 'lazyman lunch' and literally eat this 3-4 days a week.

    1/2c dry instant rice (makes about 3/4c when ready)
    1/2c black beans
    a few Tbsp of homemade salsa or chopped veggies.

    rice is 160 cal
    Beans are 120 cal
    Salsa is like 25 cal.

    305 calorie lunch and it's freaking delicious.


    I eat this same thing all the time. It is not high calorie, and it is filling,nutritious, and yummy!
  • cfredz
    cfredz Posts: 292 Member
    rice and beans make a complete protein!
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    It's not. Never heard that.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I think it's considered a high carb meal, rather than high calorie, and some people like to limit carbs when losing weight. I love beans and rice. As you say, it's low calorie, high fiber and extremely filling.
  • djeffreys10
    djeffreys10 Posts: 2,312 Member
    "High" calorie is relative. If I eat 4 seperate 500 calorie meals in a day, then I am approx. 2/3 of the way to my calorie goal. So I wouldn't consider it very high calorie at all. Hell, my post workout shake is 700 calories.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Since making it on my own, it doesn't really have many calories for how filling it is. Made with chopped vegetables, a rice and beans meal always seems to be under 500 calories for me and full of lots of fiber and protein.

    It's all relative and is going to greatly depend on your serving portion...for a lot of people, your serving size above would simply be a side item...it used to be for me...now I would have maybe 1/2 of that as a side item.
  • RunBrew
    RunBrew Posts: 220 Member
    What? They make pre-seasoned beans? I must look for these the next time I go shopping!

    This is what I buy.
    00021130341238_full_zps8c09d7ca.jpg[/URL]

    The nutritional info is in MFP database already, but here's the label

    http://www.shopwell.com/safeway-black-beans-seasoned-with-garlic-onion-spices/canned-beans/p/2113034123
  • ksuetorres
    ksuetorres Posts: 139 Member
    Restaurant rice and beans (especially refried!) are very high calorie. Throw in just one 200 calorie tortilla, and most people will be over their calorie allowance and eaten a lot of fat and refined carbs they wouldn't eat otherwise. Make your own rice and beans, don't refry, and swap that flour tortilla for a 90 kcal Extreme Wellness tortilla (tomato and basil). Add some chicken and you have a healthy meal with reasonable calories. Go ahead, load it up with pico de gallo (negligible calories, lots of pizazz!)
  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Slip some butter/fat in and you can make a high calorie meal out of most anything.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Hi carb maybe. Not high calorie.
  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
    For me myself ,1 cup of white rice is 160 calories and beans I think its 130 a cup or half cup , for me its a lot of calories my intake is 1300 a day am under 5ft so that would make sense and still need to lose weight , 16 lbs to go I do go over but not to much most days . So I shy away from this combo and I don't care much for rice anyway, since that is a good chunk of my calorie intake , I like to eat less at breakfast and lunch and more at dinner so If I wanted to eat a meal that's higher in calories I have to do it at dinner and have no snacks.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Slip some butter/fat in and you can make a high calorie meal out of most anything.

    tumblr_mdydzqvG8e1qzfsnio1_400.jpg
  • Cinflo58
    Cinflo58 Posts: 326 Member
    According to who? or is it whom? It's the portion size that can make them high calorie. A bacon cheeseburger and a large fries is a high calorie meal, or fried fish with fried plantains and cheesecake for dessert, or a phillie cheesesteak with provalone cheese on a 12" roll.
  • iechick
    iechick Posts: 352 Member
    Restaurant rice and beans (especially refried!) are very high calorie. Throw in just one 200 calorie tortilla, and most people will be over their calorie allowance and eaten a lot of fat and refined carbs they wouldn't eat otherwise. Make your own rice and beans, don't refry, and swap that flour tortilla for a 90 kcal Extreme Wellness tortilla (tomato and basil). Add some chicken and you have a healthy meal with reasonable calories. Go ahead, load it up with pico de gallo (negligible calories, lots of pizazz!)

    I buy canned organic refried black beans and it's 120 calories for a serving (ingredients- organic black beans, water and sea salt). I usually heat it up and then add it to salads :)
  • EniBee
    EniBee Posts: 274 Member
    According to who? or is it whom? It's the portion size that can make them high calorie. A bacon cheeseburger and a large fries is a high calorie meal, or fried fish with fried plantains and cheesecake for dessert, or a phillie cheesesteak with provalone cheese on a 12" roll.

    Whom...if you please!
  • ksuh999
    ksuh999 Posts: 543 Member
    Restaurant rice and beans (especially refried!) are very high calorie. Throw in just one 200 calorie tortilla, and most people will be over their calorie allowance and eaten a lot of fat and refined carbs they wouldn't eat otherwise. Make your own rice and beans, don't refry, and swap that flour tortilla for a 90 kcal Extreme Wellness tortilla (tomato and basil). Add some chicken and you have a healthy meal with reasonable calories. Go ahead, load it up with pico de gallo (negligible calories, lots of pizazz!)

    I buy canned organic refried black beans and it's 120 calories for a serving (ingredients- organic black beans, water and sea salt). I usually heat it up and then add it to salads :)
    Traditionally, refried beans have added fat. I'm gonna have to look for no-fat added refried beans too now!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Restaurant rice and beans (especially refried!) are very high calorie. Throw in just one 200 calorie tortilla, and most people will be over their calorie allowance and eaten a lot of fat and refined carbs they wouldn't eat otherwise. Make your own rice and beans, don't refry, and swap that flour tortilla for a 90 kcal Extreme Wellness tortilla (tomato and basil). Add some chicken and you have a healthy meal with reasonable calories. Go ahead, load it up with pico de gallo (negligible calories, lots of pizazz!)

    I buy canned organic refried black beans and it's 120 calories for a serving (ingredients- organic black beans, water and sea salt). I usually heat it up and then add it to salads :)
    Traditionally, refried beans have added fat. I'm gonna have to look for no-fat added refried beans too now!

    You can't technically fry something without fat. These are just smashed beans. But they are quite tasty.