Amp Up Regular Pork Pot Roast With One Pantry Staple For A Major Protein (And Fiber) Boost

While nutritional supplements and meal-replacement shakes have become all the rage, the fact is there are plenty of traditional (and tasty) ways to hit your dietary goals. For example, adding blueberries to yogurt is an easy way to get a dose of anti-oxidants, and mixing almonds into a salad gives it crunch and some healthy fats. Similarly, one great way to give your pork roast a major protein (and fiber) boost is to add dried beans.

A pork roast gives a weeknight dinner special occasion vibes — there's just something about it that feels rich and luxurious. Now, by adding one pantry staple, you can also make it extra nutritious. Take this simple slow cooker pork loin roast recipe, for example. One serving of this contains 45 grams of protein and under 1 gram of dietary fiber. Topping it up with one serving of beans gives it a roughly 15 gram protein boost while adding 15 grams of dietary fiber.

While you can use any dried beans you have in your pantry, this recipe works especially well with pinto beans and black beans. Pinto beans have a soft, creamy texture, and nutty notes that add layers of richness of the pork, while the earthy flavors and dense texture of black beans accentuate the roast's meatiness. And all you need to do to amp up your pork roast is add two cups of beans to the slow cooker along with your pork loin or pork shoulder.

There are a couple of different ways in which you can serve this pork roast. If you've cooked your roast to a pulled-pork consistency, you can roughly shred the meat and stir it back into the sauce. Alternatively, you could take the pork roast out, slice it and serve it on top of a bed of rice, with the creamy beans on the side. Between the many variations of pork and beans — from a traditional Brazilian Feijoada to creamy southern-style butter beans — and multiple takes on the pork roast itself, we have a lot of inspiration handy to upgrade our high protein, high fiber dish. 

For example, there's a simple trick to make slow-cooker pork roast extra flavorful by adding chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. You can use the same hack to give your pork and beans a spicy kick as well. Jamie Oliver gives his pork roast a trans-Atlantic twist by pairing traditional flavors with a chutney-like fruit sauce. And if you're looking to add even more brightness to your meal, you can pair your protein and fiber-rich pork roast with one of these 25 high-fiber salads that actually satisfy.