I don’t know about you, but I have been in a major lunch rut lately. When things get busy, I have a habit of falling into the ‘same lunch everyday’ trap and I eat the same thing until I am blue in the face and can’t take it any longer.
My rut as of late has consisted mainly of hummus and veggie wraps. For almost everyday for the past two months, I have had a wrap as part of my lunch because they are quick, mindless, and easy. They take 5 minutes to whip up and can be consumed in even less time!
But, it is time to change it up and spice up my lunches once again. A girl can only stay in a lunch rut for so long before she snaps. ;)
I seriously cannot fathom eating another wrap for a very long, long time.
Please tell me I am not the only one who wears out foods like this. :)
Today I have a delicious, healthy, and super quick black bean salad recipe that makes a wonderful lunch, either as the main course or as a side dish. If you are looking for a way to change up the everyday fare, this is it!
Easy Avocado-Lime Black Bean Salad
I fell in love with this black bean salad as soon as I tasted it. It is like no other black bean salad I have ever made before. The hint of lime and spicy kick from the cumin makes for an addicting and healthy salad full of protein, healthy fats, and flavour.
Adapted from The Kitchn.
Ingredients:
- Two 15-ounce can black beans
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 small shallots, diced
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large avocado, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
Directions: Drain the beans thoroughly and rinse. In a large bowl add the beans and toss with lime juice, cilantro leaves, diced shallot, and ground cumin. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Peel and slice an avocado, and serve the beans at room temperature, with chopped avocado on top or mixed throughout the salad. Note that I did not have any cilantro on hand, but it still tasted delicious! Makes 3-4 servings.
Notes from original recipe: The beans will last for several days in the fridge. You can easily take this salad for lunch and bring along an avocado to chop up just before serving.
The beauty of this lunch is that it is not only healthy, packed with protein and healthy fats, but it is whipped up in a jiffy, leaving you lots of time for life’s other daily tasks.
Lunch rut, be gone.
I think I threw together this lunch in 5 minutes flat. It also makes enough for a few servings so the leftovers can be enjoyed throughout the week.
I wasn’t sure how I would like the cumin + lime flavours together, but it was actually wonderful. I could not get enough of this dish!
I had the salad with a couple slices of Ezekiel bread and some fruit for dessert. It was so filing, well-rounded, and super energizing. If you are looking to break out of a rut, I highly recommend this delicious lunch. It is going to be on my regular rotation for easy & quick lunches. :)
Are you currently in a lunch rut? Do you enjoy mixing it up for lunch or do you rely on the same foods most of the time?
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{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
I have been in a lunch rut too! Actually more of a dinner rut. I usually ask friends on Twitter and Facebook for suggestions, or make a list of what is sitting in my pantry and fridge. WE are actually have tostadas tonight with black beans and avocado!
i WISH i had time for a lunch like that, right now i am drinking a meal replacement for my lunches
I stay out of a lunch rut by making extra large dinner dishes and then freezing the leftovers in individual portions. I have so many different dishes in my freezer that I can pull out and heat up at work. It’s a total time saver too!
I am pretty boring with lunches – roasted veggies, salad, Instant Colcannon, or soup most of the time. And leftovers. I think it’s easy to get in a lunch rut because you’re usually only making it for yourself and I make all my meals just for one so it’s even easier to get in a food rut overall.
I am TOTALLY in an all around food rut :( Last night I sat down with my dinner and couldn’t even finish it because it was so lame! I think my brain is so overloaded with school work that when it comes to making my meal, I have no creativity left. The beans look tasty though! Very fresh. I have all of the ingredients so I think this might be my dinner tonight :)
oh angela, my lunches have been sucking lately. i love roasted veggies, but i’m just about done with them! this sounds like the perfect cure to the lunch-rut woes :)
One word – yum!!! Thanks for the idea. I am frequently in a lunch rut – I mean, I eat healthily, but sometimes there’s only so much roasted red pepper and tomato soup a girl can take :)
Your butternut squash casserole was on the menu for dinner this week, but I can’t find any b-squash . . seriously! They’re all out @ the two supermarkets nearby. Definitely next week!
Yes I am in a lunch rut — I usually have leftovers from the night before. Sometimes that is good, but sometimes it is super boring :(
And I know you are sick of wraps, but I think this salad would taste good in a wrap :)
Lunch is the hardest thing for me. I have to have something quick and easy so I usually end up doing the same thing. I’ll have the same quick, easy meal for weeks on end so I don’t have to think. And then get in a rut and switch to something else…which I repeat until I’m sick of it.
I can totally relate – I make almost the same lunch salad so often, that I am actually starting to get sick of feta! When you love something, it’s easy to eat it so often you get sick of it!
YES, I am in a major lunch rut. I have eaten a PB & banana sandwich for lunch at work nearly every day for about 3 months. I can’t stop making it because it is fast and easy and it definitely tastes good…but it’s getting to the point where I am just not excited to eat midday anymore. I’m feeling a little under the weather today so I brought some leftover veggie & barley soup I made in the crockpot this weekend. I am so excited for something different that I’m literally counting down the minutes till lunch time!
Lunch is the hardest meal for me sometimes! I often feel like I’m in a rut!
I am going to make your crispy chick pea bites today… then I’ll have to try this recipe later this week!
I used to get in lunch ruts all the time, but I think blogging really helped me learn to switch things up. I still have my favorite dishes though!!
I’m in a lunch rut too..but it’s not so bad. I’ve been making a mama pea recipe for the past 3 weeks. But I like this dish. Maybe I’ll have to add it to my current lunch rut menu ;)
I make a black bean and avocado salad that is very similar to this one. I also add corn, red onion, tomatoes and cilantro. I just love it, so addicting!
The lunch that I just ate would definitely indicate that I’m in a lunch rut. I always try to make a large dish for dinner and then eat left overs for lunch to save time and money. Sometimes it works and sometimes it just leaves me feeling bored. Booo.
Your salad looks great! I’ve been on an avocado kick lately, so I will def have to try it!
Mmm, this looks fab! I’d totally throw in a tomato and go to town! My rut has been breakfast for a while…it’s been Clif bars + coffee + a piece of fruit pretty much every morning for two weeks!
mm, that salad looks delicious!
I easily fall into the sandwich rut. Since I normally eat lunch at work sandwiches are just a quick easy thing to bring with me and don’t need to be refrigerated or anything. I try to switch up the fillings but it doesn’t always work.
I’m not in too much of a lunch rut. I can’t stand eating the same thing for days, so I switch it up pretty often. Today was yogurt with honey, green beans, celery & pb, chocolate chips, and a pumpkin muffin. yum :)
I love that branch spoon
I never use the word rut, I use the word groove :)
I have found mine. Some may say it’s a rut, but I actually eat the same things every day. I am a high raw GF vegan so basically that means lots of raw veggies and fruits daily. Yes they are different, and yes, I try to prepare them differently but it all comes back to….there’s only so many ways one can get “creative” with broccoli before it’s just….broccoli :)
So that’s why I say Ive found my groove. And am sticking with it..haha!
As for your lunch and your food in general…omg I would say that you never eat the same thing twice, you clearly are never in a rut (even if you think you are, the photos don’t lie :)) and this latest creation is just brilliant.
Major hugs and have a great day honey :)
xoxo
yummy! i TOTALLY know what you mean- i’ve been making some sort of black bean soup / chilis for weeks!!!! totally LOVE this- lots of my favorite ingrediants and i’m always looking for ways to mix it up! thanks for sharing :)
Looks tasty! I try to make about 2 new portable lunch salads at the beginning of each week so that I can alternate them and don’t have to spend lots of time at the end of each day making something new. I really do miss having my sandwich press though – I’d love to go home for lunch and use it once in a while but just don’t have the time. Maybe I should bring it to work? ;)
I’ve been in a “general” rut with my meals lately! I don’t know if it’s laziness, or if I just REALLY like what I’ve been eating… but I think it’s time to change it up, too! Your salad looks delicious! I have some avocados I need to use up, so I’m going to try it!
Delicious! I make a similar black bean salad with quinoa and red bell pepper, too. Sometimes I add roasted corn. I try to mix it up but end up eating hummus in some form with my lunch almost everyday. :)
avocado and lime. you can never go wrong with that! ;)
See, I have the problem of falling into a breakfast rut…without me even realizing it I will eat the same thing for breakfast months on end and when I finally change I can’t even look at what I was having let alone eat it for a long time… The convenience is always what gets you ;)
I have been in a rut on dinner ideas lately, I am eating a lot of tacos, soups and sandwiches. Need more creativity in my life and QUICK!
I make a black bean salsa with cumin, lime & cilantro so I can imagine how tasty this salad would be!
I do have a tendency to eat the same lunches over and over – because it is easy – until I end up being sick of whatever it is. Then I move on to the next thing… :)
I have this habbits of repeating breakfast, lunchs, snacks and dinners too… :S and trying to do something about it cause I feel like im going to miss on other nutriments and vitamins at one point! lol Always eat cereals for breakfast, egg sandwich for lunch, larabar, crackers, carrots & hummus for snacks… for some reason, I never get tired of it… so im trying to be more imaginative on my dinners! I’ve discovered Soba noodles recently and those are aswesome : 3 of my last week dinners included those! lol I am living alone and it’s difficult to plan a different meal everyday, if there is leftovers well, nobody else than me will eat it!
Not an avocado fan, but love beans and lime =)
yum! cumin and citrus is such a classic combination and one i love. i may have to make this!
What a perfect post for me today! I eat a hummus and veggie sandwich on Ezekiel almost every day! While I love it, I need to change it up. It just so happens that I have avocados that need to be used and black beans in the pantry… Now I want to leave work early just so I can go home and make this :) Thanks for the great idea Ang!!!
Thank you Thank you! A no-cook vegetarian lunch that’s high in protein! Just what I needed.
Also, I made your Pumpkin Pie Vegan Overnight Oats this morning. I die. You are genius.
I love the combination of cumin and lime! I’m always throwing together random meals just like this – always with a mexican flare! ha!
This looks delicious and so easy:)
I get in major lunch ruts with sandwiches! If I have too many I start to literally get grossed out by them! Making bigger dinners and bringing leftovers to work has saved me ;)
I know exactly what you mean about being in a lunch rut! Lately all I’ve been having is roasted veggies and tofu. Black beans and avocado sounds good though! I will have to try it.
I actually like to get in a rut sometimes so I don’t have to think so much about what I’m eating.
I actually had hummus and veggies for lunch today! Yum. But, your black bean salad sounds awesome! I love cumin, lime, and black beans together. I change up what else I throw in there, but those are awesome! Or sometimes I swap lemon for the lime.
I eat a lot of the same things for lunch, but I love what I eat, so it never feels like a rut. Hot soup, bread with hummus, large salads. . . all can be adapted endlessly. And my husband and I eat pretty much the same thing several times for dinner each night: hot brown rice, quinoa, millet, with whatever toppings we have on hand. I guess, despite my love of eating out/trying new foods, I am rather simple at heart.
I definitely am guilty of wearing foods out, especially hummus :) That recipe looks so good (and easy too). I can’t wait to try it.
I haven’t been in a food rut as much as I have just been exhausted. I’ve been busting my booty in school so by the time a meal rolls around, I just want whatever is quickest and easiest to prepare.
totally. my lunch rut right now is soups. thick, rich n creamy ones! this week i have a coconut, ginger-carrot-parsnip soup. i totally need a better and more concise name for that haha. hey monotony doesn’t matter if it tastes great right? :)
I’m constantly in a lunch rut lol I often eat the same thing for days on end, then never want to see it again
I’ve been in a MAJAH lunch rut too!! This looks like the perfect antidote!
Looks fantastic! Black beans are one of my favourite things to have for lunch in some form or another – they keep me feeling full all afternoon!
I get in foods ruts often. It’s so easy to eat the same thing over and over! I’m most guitly of this for breakfast. I’ll eat oatmeal for months on end, and then one day, I can’t stomach the thought of another bowl. Then it’s on to months of yogurt and fruit, or your (AMAZING) baked breakfast puddings, or cereal and milk. Eventually, I find my back to the oatmeal and I can’t remember why I stopped eating in the first place!
Definitely stuck in a lunch rut! Most days I have a couscous and tofu sald with harissa. I’ve had that most days for lunch for weeks! It’s so quick though, and I usually make a ton and refrigerate it until I need. Must. End. Lunch. Rut.
That salad looks delicious by the way! :P
You are speaking to me Angela!
As I eat lunch right now, I could not take “the ususal” so I made a fast banana, pb butter, and agave quesadilla with persimmons on the side.:)
I love your lunch though. When in doubt-grab the canned beans!
This looks great! Also, I love the photos with the teal wall/backdrop. Your photos are really great lately.
I always get in lunch ruts- that’s just what happens when you have no time to plan/prepare meals! But this salad looks amazing, I think it is seriously speaking to my soul and telling me to make it.
I eat a Hugh Jass salad every day, but you’ve inspired me to mix up the contents!
Thinking of you.
Oh man, I am TERRIBLE for being in a lunch rut. I almost always eat a sandwich/piece of fruit/yogurt every day. I have gotten a lot better about switching things up lately, but it is a very easy lunch to grab on the go :).
I might be the queen of kitchen ruts. Once I find a good thing, I stick for it for far too long until- just like you- I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Recently I’ve started making a point to try one new recipe a week, be it lunch or dinner. I find it’s a good way to diversify my meals AND try some new ingredients :)
Beautiful photos!
I’ve been looking for a simple, tasty bean recipe, and I think i’ve just found it :)
What a great flavour combination!
Hi Angela,
I usually eat leftovers for lunch, so I haven’t been stuck in a lunch rut yet *knock on wood*.
I know you’re very busy, but my family’s going to Paris for Thanksgiving weekend for three days. I’ve read all your posts on Paris and was wondering if you have any recommendations or suggestions.
Thank you!
I am always in a lunch rut! I am also a wrap girl. But that black bean salad looks great, and I think I will give it a try next week. I am also a fan of making tons of food in my rice cooker so that dinner turns into lunch.
I am totally in a lunch rut right now. I teach school so it is hard to pack anything but a wrap and a salad that I can eat in a hurry!! I love reading your blog to get good ideas, I just need to make them now!
Yum! I know what I am having for dinner tonight. I made a black bean hummus the other day that was similar. Black beans, lime, cilantro and a little bit of salt and it was the best thing ever! Oh, and I am the queen of lunch ruts!
I usually opt for wrap/sandwich options as well (damn time constraints!)
I promised myself to bring in some diversity and make lunches that include different grains and beans (like a seaweed balls filled with brown rice-quinua-beans mixture). And try to eat different types of food for breakfast too (otherwise I tend to fall into an oat-wheat vicious cycle).
Thank you for your blog, Angela! You’re a ray of light in my very stressful time right now. Your photography is beautiful.
I tend to stick to the same thing – a big, epic tuna salad, however it gets mixed up as I’m not always able to make it (due to being busy or out and about), so say 3 or 4 days a week I’ll have it. That allows me to not get sick of it :) Love this recipe!
Heidi xo
I don’t eat lunch often, I eat two breakfasts. It’s just how it works for me these days. I suppose that’s my rut.
The wrap sound good though! I have been in lunch ruts before and I just went with it and tried to make dinner more interesting. When you are busy food is just fuel sometimes.
I never got in lunch ruts over the summer, but now that I’m back at school, I pack a turkey, tomato, and avocado sandwich almost everyday to take to campus because it’s so easy/portable. I love being able to switch it up on weekends though!
I can’t wait to try this!
I have breakfast ruts, lunch ruts and dinner ruts ;). I’m just getting of a complete food rut caused by midterm exams :P.
I’ll definitely make this salad! Love healthy easy recipes like this one :).
I’ve been taking leftover dinner from the night before for dinner for a long time now…It’s a great way to use up leftovers, but I’m starting to miss the days where I’d make a big yummy salad for lunch every day! That black bean salad looks totally delicious :)
I’ve been in a lunch rut, too… well, kind of. I’ve been having hummus\veggie\feta sandwiches for lunch for a few weeks but I haven’t gotten sick of them yet! They’re easy and oh-so-good.
You’re black bean salad looks delicious, though. ;)
I’m not in too much of a lunch rut right now, only because I tend to bring leftovers for lunch. In the summer though when I’m home, total lunch rut.
I rely on the same foods most of the time – salad and sandwich bar for me! But I do get tired of eating the same thing over and over again… sometimes.
Cumin and Lime are the best combo…toss in some coriander and
you would have a wonderful flavor triangle!
I would say that I eat the same kinds of foods everyday for lunch, but i wouldn’t call it a rut b/c I enjoy the meals everytime :-)
I wear food out by repeating it ALL THE TIME. I totally sympathize!
Hey there!
This looks fantastic! I like the way you can follow your taste preferences and mix in wonderful healthy twists for everything!
This is a certain must-try!
That sounds wonderful! I love lime and cumin together. My favorite quickie salad dressing is Dijon mustard, lime juice and cumin. Love it! I tend to get in two-week ruts where I want for lunches one week whatever I had for dinners the week before.
Hi Angela,
What camera do you use?… u take amazing pics..
My wife and I make a version of this with Red Onion (instead of shallots) and a diced jalapeño. Our daughter absolutely loves picking out the avocado and eating them.
Oh you are so not alone on the lunch ruts. I tend to do a lot of leftovers for lunch but my breakfast is the biggest rut of all… I will often eat the same thing for months at a time… but I do like to mix it up on the weekends with fun breakfasts.
Also, yesterday’s cookies looked amazing!
Haha, I ALWAYS get in lunch ruts! But I do love them, until I get sick of them. Right now I’m in a Subway-for-lunch rut! It’s getting expensive.
That salad looks delicious, I love avocado and black beans!
Hey, I went to make this and realized that olive oil is in the ingredients list, but isn’t mentioned again and it’s not in the picture. Does it go well with this?
Had this with garlic instead of shallots, over quinoa and a spoonful of Tofutti sour cream on top. So yummy and since I am in crunch time for school, being able to make dinner in fifteen minutes is amazing. Definitely going to becom a staple dish in my kitchen!
Wow! This sounds amazing! I ‘stumbled’ on your site while looking for the best raw vegan chips for baking! I love your story. Two of my favorite things are black beans and avacado. I will have to try this salad! When you get a chance, check out my blog regarding my post on DIY Chipotle’s black bean salad.
I never thought I would say this, but I think I wore out Indian cuisine this week. It wasn’t the fact that I was making Indian food every night. It was that meal I made Friday night. Something about it wasn’t quite right. Nothing turned out well. And now the thought of Indian food is freaking me out (kind of like after you get food poisoning you can never eat that food again!). But a wrap sounds really good : )
Thanks for such a great recipe! I’m new to your blog and this is my new favorite lunch recipe! I was out of black beans, so I substituted pinto and it was delicious! I look forward to trying many more of your recipes!
Glad to hear that Sara!
I’m salivating! Found your website a couple of weeks ago and can’t stop browsing. Tried three things on it so far and every one of them srumpdidalyupmtious! Thank you!
Thank you Jessica, so happy to hear that you enjoy the blog :)
Did you use the olive oil in your recipe? It’s in the ingredient list but not in the recipe? Can I leave it out?
Yes you can leave it out if you’d like! I will take a look at the recipe.
Just tried this recipe and loved it! I did add some goat cheese crumbles which really tied everything together for me. Just another way to enjoy although I understand not everyone loves dairy/cheese. I also didn’t have shallots on hand so used an organic yellow onion, still tasted great! Thanks for the great recipe!
Funny thing about being in a rut with meals, it happens so easily. Though I have found myself making/eating the same things each week because everyone likes it, I have been adding a new recipe each week. Every Wed. our family tries something new. It has now become a day my family gets excited about. And I have to thank you for many of these recipes we continue to enjoy!
I added corn, which was delicious. I would also love to add the cashew sour cream. Thing is, it took me a long time. Your recipes have literally changed my life. I LOVE them. Can’t wait for Sept. 6. One thing I am tiring of, however, is chopping cilantro. Is there a way I can do it faster?
Thanks.