These easy vegetarian quinoa burrito bowls are the perfect recipe to meal prep for a healthy lunch or dinner. It makes 5 days worth of food in less than 20 minutes, is packed with nutrients and tastes delicious!
I've honestly never really been a meal prep person. I tend to go with the flow and rustle something up for lunch or dinner based on what's in my fridge, but what I've noticed is that when time is crunched and I'm feeling stressed, I don't end up making a very well balanced meal.
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So when I started seeing all these meal prep recipes pop on Pinterest and videos on my Facebook feed, I got intrigued.
Would meal prep help ensure I'm eating healthy, balanced meals? Or is it going to take a ton of time and not really be worth it?
The only way to answer that question was to give it a try!
I decided to start simple and go with an easy lunch option. I whipped up these vegetarian quinoa burrito bowls (based kind of off my 5-ingredient Mexican Quinoa), which ended up taking me less than 20 minutes!
And it resulted in 5 days worth of healthy, protein-rich meals that tasted great, kept me full and saved really well in the fridge.
The base is a super simple quinoa salad that I've made hundreds of times but never actually shared on the blog before.
We start with cooked quinoa, add in some black beans that have been drained and rinsed, some corn (fresh or frozen), chopped cilantro and spices. And lime juice. Lime juice is key.
And you basically just stir that all together and serve it up.
You can serve it warm or cold, but since we're making it as a meal prep recipe, I'd recommend just serving cold, kind of like a salad.
The additions to my bowl? Chopped romaine lettuce, a dollop of salsa, some sliced avocado and a sprinkle more of cilantro.
What I really enjoyed about these burrito bowls is that they were filling, but still light.
I'm not a huge fan of having a big lunch in the middle of the day, especially when I have a day that's mostly spent at the computer. Of course, I need something that will fuel me through the afternoon, but since I'm not moving around a ton, it also needs to be fairly easy on my digestion.
And this bowl was just that!
Your turn…
Do you currently meal prep? If so, what are some of your favorite recipes? If you're looking for a little more meal prep inspiration, check out my 7-Day Vegan Meal Plan or watch the video of my Slow Cooker Coconut Quinoa Curry and see how to meal prep that recipe as well!
xo Alyssa
Meal-Prep Vegetarian Quinoa Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 cup corn (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 heads of romaine, chopped
- 1/2 cup salsa, divided
- 3 avocados, halved (need 5 halves)
- Lime slivers (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the quinoa salad by combining the quinoa, beans, corn, cilantro, spices and lime juice in a large bowl. Stir together until combined.
- Using 5 glass containers, add two cups of romaine, 1½ cups of quinoa mixture, 1 – 2 tablespoons of salsa and ½ an avocado.*
- Garnish with lime wedges and a sprinkle more cilantro if desired. Seal containers and place in fridge for up to 5 days.
by Alyssa
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 493kcal Calories from fat 193 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Total Fat 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat 3g | 15% |
| Transfat 0g | |
| Sodium 576mg | 24% |
| Carbohydrate 68g | 23% |
| Dietary Fiber 25g | 100% |
| Sugars 9g | |
| Protein 17g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
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Alyssa is the quinoa-obsessed girl behind Simply Quinoa. She's passionate about helping you find health, happiness and balance with wholesome recipes and lifestyle tips.
Cindy Ellis says
Love your meal prep video. Now to print it out…How do I print it out? I found the list at the bottom of the video, How do I print it?
Alyssa says
Which recipe are you looking for?
Linda J Solomon says
I enjoyed watching your little video and the ease with which you prepare the separate portions, however, my appetite is strange. Whether it’s MS that I live with or the only two meds I take which if I learned affect my appetite, so preparing meals ahead of time isn’t always so great. I do make soups and sometimes if I have a soup already in leftover stage and have also prepared a casserole which is also leftover then I have two choices to choose from. I’ll see maybe will try this with leftovers of some sort sometime? Right now, did change one part of how I eat and that is chopped two small heads of cabbage red and green and several carrots putting some in veg drawer and the rest in freezer to use for soup. I can add some romaine to that and make a nice salad to eat more than once.
Alyssa says
I think soups and casseroles are a great option when you don’t have a ton of time or just don’t feel like eating much.You can freeze your leftovers into individualized portions and it works great! xo
Dana says
Do you find that the avocado is completely brown by the end of the week? I find mine get brown even with lime juice. Love everything you do! Please keep it up!!
Alyssa says
Yeah, I’d say slice them day of to make them last longer 🙂
Linda says
Or, you can roll the halves completely in hemp seed to keep them green and add some protein in the process!
Alyssa says
Sounds delicious!
Lucy says
LOVE your blog & YouTube, Alyssa! Your content just gets better and better! Would love to see more posts like this 🙂
Alyssa says
Aww thanks so much, Lucy! That means the world to me 🙂 And yes, definitely doing more meal prep content!
Sheila says
Thank you love the meal prep love to see more as well
Jan Reuther says
Alyssa, you are my new best friend!!! I tried the quinoa burrito bowl, which was a leap of faith for me. (I’d never had black beans before, and I’d never tried salsa as a replacement for salad dressing.)
The taste was amazing!!! So good! So, so,so, so very, very, very, very good!
Thank you for all your recipes and the wealth of information you share.
Alyssa says
I’m seriously SOOOOO happy that you liked it, Jan! This comment is amazing! Keep on rocking it and let me know how you’re doing! xo
Sheila says
Love this thank you
Alyssa says
You’re so welcome!
Aimee Mars says
Where did you get your meal prep containers? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I find I get so tired of cooking by Friday that I often just skip lunch (so not good!) and I’m thinking Meal Prep is the answer.
Alyssa says
I think it could be great for you! I get them on amazon 🙂 These are from Pyrex!
Justine says
This is the least time consuming meal prep! I still have my whole day ahead of me, which us fabulous. I love that it doesn’t have to be heated either. I am Lecturer and my husband is a polive officer and it is perfect for both of us. We feel light but full. Perfecto!
Alyssa says
So glad you found it helpful, Justine!! There’s more meal prep coming your way, so stay tuned! xo
Lauren Smith | The Oatmeal Artist says
I’ve just discovered your site and I’m in love. Thank you for all these vegan recipes! <3
Alyssa says
Hooray! I’m so happy to have you here 🙂
Kinsey says
This sounds great! I’m vegetarian and trying to watch my carbs (it’s sooo easy when you don’t eat meat to replace it with bread and grains!). Do you think it would work to maybe sub half the quinoa for scrambled tofu or something similar?
Alyssa says
I totally agree! And yes, that would work OR you could try using cauliflower rice!