The following post is sponsored content brought to you by Minute® Ready to Serve Rice. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Happy Healthy Mama possible!
I’ve had the luxury of being home to prepare my lunch since my oldest child, Meghan, was born. It really is a luxury to not have to pack a lunch. All of that is about to change. This year my teaching schedule is different and instead of teaching two half days, I’ll be teaching one full day and one half day. So yes, it’s just one little day that I’ll have to pack a lunch, but it’s still something I haven’t had to do in seven years.
Minute® Ready to Serve Rice has made my life easier as I get ready to go back to school. It’s a portable, fully cooked rice option that is ready in 60 seconds! There are several wholesome, whole grain options that fit in with the Happy Healthy Mama food philosophy. There’s whole grain brown rice, brown and wild rice, and a multi-grain medley. These little cups are also portion controlled for you. 
You can eat the rice as is, or add your own special flair. That’s what I’m going to help you with today. I want to make packing my lunches for back to school as easy as possible. I have a lot on my plate already and don’t need one more thing to take me away from precious family time.
This rainbow rice and bean salad just takes a few minutes to prepare the night before and then I’m ready to bring it to school, along with one of my favorite Minute® Ready to Serve Rice cups to add to it at lunch time. 
You start by chopping up all of the vegetables (a rainbow of colors!) and putting them into your favorite storage container. I like to use my glass mason jars for recipes like this. Next you add the dressing and gently turn the jar over a few times to mix the beans and vegetables and coat them with the dressing. Now you can just put that in the refrigerator and you’re ready to bring your lunch to work the next day! (Even if you stay home to eat, this is perfect for you, too! We all could use a quick lunch option, right?) 
This recipe actually makes two servings, perfect for a pack of two Minute® Ready to Serve Rice. A few minutes of preparation on one night, and you’ve got lunch made for two days. The variety I used for this recipe is the Multi-Grain medley. It’s a blend of six 100% whole grains including brown rice, quinoa, barley, oats, wheat and rye. You guys know how much I strive to get a wide variety of foods in my diet, so this is perfect for that! 
This recipe includes a rainbow of vegetables, whole grains, and nutritious black beans that make it a complete protein. Who says portable lunches can’t be healthy? Add this one to your rotation!
Rainbow Rice and Bean Salad
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
A portable, fully cooked rice option that is ready in 60 seconds!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey (strict vegans use agave nectar)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green onion, sliced (I used the white and green parts)
3/4 cup cooked black beans
2 cups Minute® Ready to Serve Rice Multi-grain Medley
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients. Set aside. Place your chopped vegetables and beans into a container and coat with the prepared dressing. Refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to eat, prepare the Multi-Grain Medley according to package directions (microwave for one minute).
Pour half of the vegetable mixture into a bowl, making sure to include half of the dressing. Add the rice blend and stir. Save the other portion for the next day or share with a friend. 🙂 Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 567
- Sugar: 22.5g
- Sodium: 496mg
- Fat: 15.5g
- Carbohydrates: 95g
- Protein: 17g
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve Rice.
This looks good! What is the ounce amount of the ball jar you used and how many oz in one minute rice cup? Love all your concoctions!
The ball jar is 18 ounces and the Minute Rice cup is 125 grams, or about 4.4 ounces. Thank you! 🙂
I could eat this exact meal every single day! I love the variety of nutrients and flavor and am all about easy-to-prep lunches and dinners. I could easily see this being the perfect jar of food to bring to work. Bravo, m’dear!
Thank you, Julia!