To avoid the expense of eating out for lunch, I make a big batch of bean burritos. On the way out the door I grab a burrito from the freezer, a fruit, vegetable, and I have lunch.
What you need
24 tortillas
2 cans of black beans
2+ cups of shredded cheese
1 cup of cooked rice
1 cup of salsa
Sauted vegetables like zucchini, carrots, mushrooms
Stock up on tortillas, canned beans, rice and salsa when they’re on sale.
Preparing your burritos
- Cook the rice. I like to cook my rice in the oven, but you can do whatever works for you. To bake your rice: add 1 cup of rice, 2 cups of water, and a dash of salt in a covered baking dish. Bake at 350 for say 40 minutes.
- Open and rinse your cans of black beans.
- Mix it all together: rice, beans, salsa, cheese and the sauted veggies.
- Put a couple large spoonfuls of the mixture on a tortilla.
- Roll up your burrito and on to the next one.
By the time you’ve rolled 24 burritos, you’ll be highly skilled.
Next wrap each burrito in saran wrap. This way you can grab one at a time. Pop the burritos into large freezer bags, put them in the freezer and call it a day. Now on your way out the door grab a burrito, a fruit and a veggie. When it’s lunch-time, remove the plastic wrap and zap the burrito in the microwave. Lunch!
Making bulk bean burritos is a little work up front, but totally worthwhile. Simple, inexpensive, and nutritious!
For added nutrition try using brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice.
An Exercise in Frugality 