Spice up your lunch routine with these vegan Sweet Potato Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls! They’re easy to assemble and have a creamy, delicious avocado dressing.
Meal prep can be a life changing practice.
…and you only need to devote a small amount of time each week to reap the benefits!
With meal prep, you can get back some precious time on weeknights when you’d rather be doing anything else but cooking. Plus, you’ll have the option to choose nutritious meals over takeout or restaurant food, even on your busiest days.
As you can see, I’m a big advocate of meal prep. But I also understand how it can be intimidating. If you don’t like to cook, or if you’re new to preparing food, meal prep can seem like a foreign language or some type of complicated magic. There’s good news though.
I’m here to help you realize how easy meal prep can be, and how to figure out a routine that’s good for you!
Beginner Meal Prep Tips
- Start small. Each week, focus on one meal or snack that you would like to prepare. For example, if you want to get in the habit of eating breakfast, make an easy recipe for this meal that can be stored in the fridge and reheated. (Check out my Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins, Make Ahead Veggie Breakfast Burritos, or Spiced Parsnip and Apple Baked Oatmeal). Or if you’d prefer to start with snacks, pick one from my 25 Easy Vegetable Snacks list.
- And remember, meal prep is going to look different for everyone. If you don’t like eating the same meals throughout the week, that’s ok! You can try “component” or “buffet” meal prep. Start by preparing a couple different veggies, a protein or two, and a whole grain. Then make a few different sauces or dressings, so you can enjoy a variety of flavors without making tons of recipes.
- For more easy meal prep tips, check out my Easy Meal Prep Guide.
Ok ok, I digress. Here’s what you need to know about this recipe!
Wherever you are in your meal prep journey, these Sweet Potato Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls are for you! They can be a great addition to a seasoned meal prep routine, or a gateway recipe to your new habits.
These bowls happen to be 100% vegan and have the most creamy, dreamy cilantro lime dressing. Plus, they’re loaded with fiber from whole grain brown rice, black beans, and mighty sweet potatoes. With all that goodness, you’ll feel energized and ready to power through your afternoon slump.
How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
Did I mention how easy these are?
First, dice a sweet potato and bake in the oven for ~30 minutes. While that’s happening, prep the brown rice and drain the black beans. Next, blend together avocado, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, and salt.
Divide the ingredients into 4 containers, and store in the fridge to bring to lunch. Boom!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And remember to tag me on instagram @its_a_vegworld_afterall!
For other meal prep recipes, check out:
- Vegetarian Meal Prep Breakfast Sandwiches
- Veggie Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
- Slow Cooker Black Beans with Scallions
- Cauliflower Al Pastor Bowls
📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup brown rice - cooked
- 2 cups black beans - or one can, drained and rinsed
For the cilantro lime dressing:
- 1 avocado
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dice the sweet potato and transfer to the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, cumin, and chili powder. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the brown rice according to its package. You can use short grain or long grain brown rice, or even use frozen or minute rice to save time. Once cooked, set aside 1 cup for the bowls.
- Prepare the dressing while the rice and potatoes are cooking. In a food processor or powerful blender, combine the avocado, cilantro, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lime juice, and salt. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
- Prepare the bowls by dividing the rice, potatoes, and black beans evenly into 4 containers. Drizzle each bowl with the cilantro lime dressing, or pack 4 small containers with the dressing. Store the bowls in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Happy meal prepping!
Lizzie
Thembi Carr
AMAZING!!
Marissa
Do you reheat these when you eat them? Excellent flavor! 🙂
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Marissa, glad you enjoy them! I have eaten them reheated (in the microwave for 1-2 minutes) and cold. They taste great either way in my opinion.
Amanda nalley
Holy crap that is yummm. Didn’t add salt and halved the oil. So yumm
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reporting back :-)!