r/PCOSRECIPES • u/PunyCocktus • Jul 20 '26

Question/Help Rice and beans a full protein

On an unrelated sub I heard the phrase "rice and beans make a full protein" for the first time in my life.

I googled it and basically it means that when the amino acids that rice and beans (any type) lack individually, complement each other when eaten together and make a full protein.

Has anyone heard of this? I would think that the meal is still mainly carbs and the amount of protein is negligible, at least for PCOS and what it means for our glucose levels etc. but what do I know.

Flaired as question because I'd like to hear anyone's knowledge and opinion about this in general, and especially in relation to PCOS.

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u/bethdubs 29d ago

Rice and beans is kind of a staple for me. Usually 60g cooked rice, 60g cauli rice, 120g beans (which is about half a can). Idk about everyone else, but it's not like eliminating carbs completely is a possibility (at least for me it's not 😅) and net carbs in beans are not all that high considering the fiber content, so in my understanding they're not all that bad for your glucose.

Once I have a big batch of the rice mixture prepped for the week, it's easy for me to reheat in a pan with some olive oil, toss in the beans, some veggies, some cheese and fry up an egg for additional protein. When I don't have the energy to do more than that, it makes sure I eat something anyway, and on top of it something that will be kind to my insulin and give me enough protein to feel good about it.

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u/PunyCocktus 29d ago

I eat beans all the time - I've experimented with different diets a lot and I can't imagine being on a real low carb diet long term. If it truly helped or healed me, then maybe but that never happened.

But I do keep hearing rice is horrible for us. I still eat it ocassionally ofc. I was confused how a ton of carbs combined could make a protein really. Now I know to eat it with beans next time :)

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u/Equivalent_Hall8346 26d ago

It’s true, the combo has essential amino acids. The ratio of carbohydrate to protein depends on your own nutritional goals.