Stuffed peppers have been a dinner-table classic forever, and it turns out they're quietly excellent for your gut too. The trick is using day-old cold brown rice, which develops more resistant starch than fresh rice, then packing it with black beans for extra prebiotic power. The result: 13 grams of fiber tucked inside a meal that looks (and tastes) like comfort food.
Ingredients
- 4 large bell peppers, tops cut off and seeds removed
- 1 cup cooked brown rice (day-old, cold)
- 1 can (400g) black beans, drained
- 1 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh coriander and lime to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Cook onion until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic and spices, cook 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes, beans, corn, and brown rice. Stir and cook 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Season.
- Place peppers cut-side up in a baking dish. Fill each with the rice mixture.
- Add 1cm of water to the base of the dish. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake uncovered 5-10 more minutes. Serve with fresh coriander and lime.
Nutrition Facts (per stuffed pepper)
| Calories | 310 |
| Total fat | 5g |
| Total carbohydrates | 56g |
| Dietary fiber | 13g |
| Protein | 13g |
| Sodium | 380mg |
Why This Is Good for Your Gut
Day-old brown rice has significantly higher resistant starch than freshly cooked, acting as a potent prebiotic. Black beans' galactooligosaccharides feed Bifidobacterium. Bell peppers provide vitamin C supporting gut lining collagen production. Garlic and onion add prebiotic inulin.
Cook extra rice a day ahead specifically for this. It's a small step that makes a real difference in the payoff.
This recipe is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional dietary advice.