Budget Bulk Beans and Rice
Dried beans and rice bought in bulk, cooked in one pot. The cheapest hot dinner you can carry.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Backpacking
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Dehydrate ahead
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Instant white rice | 3/4 cup | parboiled, the kind that rehydrates in five minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Dried refried bean flakes | 1/2 cup | bulk bin, cheaper by the pound than pouches |
| Olive oil | 1.5 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Dried onion and garlic | 1 tbsp | |
| Chili powder and cumin | 2 tsp | |
| Bouillon | 1 cube | |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Dried tomato powder | 1 tbsp | optional, adds body and acid |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a boil with the bouillon, dried onion and garlic, and the spices.
- Dump in the rice, stir once, cover, and pull it off the heat. Wait five minutes.
- Stir in the bean flakes a spoonful at a time. Let it sit two minutes to thicken.
- Pour the oil over and stir it through. Salt to taste and eat out of the pot.
The point here is cost per calorie. Bulk rice and bean flakes run a few cents an ounce, which is less than any freeze-dried pouch selling the same dinner. Buying the components loose and mixing them yourself is the whole savings.
Whole dried beans never soften at altitude in a reasonable time, so this uses flakes, which are just beans already cooked and dried. They also thicken the pot, which is what turns rice and water into a meal instead of soup. The oil is not optional. Beans and rice are lean, and fat is where the calories per ounce actually live.
Packing
Rice, beans, and every dry seasoning go into one bag at home. Oil rides separately. One bag, one pot, one spoon.
Variations
- A foil packet of tuna or a handful of dried salami adds protein, though it drops the vegan and vegetarian tags.
- Hot sauce packets weigh nothing and cover a lot of bland.
https://www.alexfergus.com/blog/how-to-eat-healthy-on-a-budget-22-useful-tips