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Weird Sh*t I Ate: Refrigerated Rice with Quinoa and Avocado

 Weird Sh*t I Ate: Refrigerated Rice with Quinoa and Avocado



Today’s entry in “Weird Sh*t I Ate” features a bowl of refrigerated rice and quinoa, reheated, with avocado plopped on top. I'm sure it wouldn't reach Instagram glory, and thus, photos are completely unnecessary. Here's a bonus: I fed this to my 14-year-old son before we went on a 7-mile bike ride, and he didn't balk at the quinoa nestled between the rice grains. 

Super note: When you refrigerate rice or quinoa and then reheat it, something subtle but important happens: the starch changes form. It becomes what’s called resistant starch—a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine and makes it all the way to the colon. And that, my friends, makes for easy leftover--you know-lazy microwavable health meals. Resistant starch is basically dinner for your gut bacteria. They ferment it, and in return, they pump out short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which help calm inflammation, regulate blood sugar, and keep things moving along.

Add an avocado on top, and suddenly the dish isn’t just starchy fuel—it’s creamy, full of fiber, and rich in healthy fats that slow digestion and keep hunger quiet. It’s a stealth health bomb. It tastes fine. I enjoyed it.

And because I can’t leave well enough alone, I washed it down with green tea. That’s another layer of gut-friendly chemistry. Green tea is loaded with polyphenols, plant compounds that feed different bacterial species, particularly the ones linked to lower inflammation and better metabolic health. Think of it as a toast: I sip the tea, my microbes raise a glass back.

So yes, my son and I rode seven miles powered by what looks like a leftover experiment. He probably just thought it was food. I knew it was a microbiome strategy. That’s the story behind this weird sh*t I ate: not chasing macros, not trying to hack weight loss, just giving the little bacteria in my gut something real to work with.

Wait, well, yeah, I'm trying to hack weight loss--but not just weight loss, health.  I gotta do this for the long-haul, so I need to experiment and occasionally repeat (which is why I have this blog).  

Recipe (or whatever)--(and a Kimchi Note to Future Me)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice (long grain works well)

  • 1 cup quinoa

  • Water (per rice cooker instructions)

  • Seasoning of choice (I used a simple mix—salt, maybe garlic powder or bouillon—nothing fancy)

  • 1 ripe avocado

  • Optional but recommended: kimchi for tang and gut-friendly microbes

Instructions

  1. Rinse the grains. Rinse rice and quinoa until the water runs clearer. This helps with texture and makes the end result fluffier.

  2. Cook together. Place both in the rice cooker with the correct amount of water. Add seasoning. Cook until done.

  3. Refrigerate leftovers. This is the secret step. Once cooled and stored in the fridge, the starches in the rice and quinoa transform into resistant starch—food for your gut bacteria.

  4. Reheat. Microwave a portion of the refrigerated mix until hot.

  5. Avocado magic. Chop up a ripe avocado and stir it in. It adds creaminess, fiber, and healthy fats. (Bonus kitchen tip: to preserve ripe avocados, store them submerged in water in a container. Once sliced, seal the pieces in a baggie submerged in water, and they’ll last longer without browning.)

  6. Optional flair. Add kimchi for probiotics and extra tang. Note to future self: don’t skip this.

Why Eat This?

  • Resistant starch from reheated rice/quinoa: feeds gut microbes, improves blood sugar stability, reduces inflammation.

  • Avocado: fiber, healthy fats, potassium, and creamy texture that makes it feel indulgent.

  • Kimchi (if you remember it): probiotics + spice + crunch.

  • Green tea on the side: polyphenols for extra microbial love.

Serving Suggestion
Eat before a bike ride with your teenager. Bonus points if the teenager doesn’t complain and actually enjoys it.

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