That's right! By eating this slightly sweet,starchy vegetable for breakfast you are actually doing your body a wonderfully nutritious favor!
Besides being full of Vitamin B6, C, and D. This little thing is also packed with iron,magnesium, potassium, and are high in carotenoids like beta carotene that strengthen eyesight and ward off cancer and protect against the effects of aging!
Oh and one more thing...Sweet potatoes (and yams) are naturally sweet- tasting but their natural sugars are SLOWLY released into the bloodstream, creating a balanced and regular source of energy, without the blood sugar spikes linked to fatigue and weight gain!
I repeat... I can't eat something sweet-tasting WITHOUT WEIGHT GAIN?! Yes please
So before you reach for the sugary cereal or muffin, grab a sweet potato!
You will be so happy you did!
Here is my baked sweet potato I had this morning for breakfast!
I baked it in the oven the night before and just popped it in the microwave this morning for 1 minute.
* Make sure you leave the skin on while microwaving so you don't lose any nutritional value and all those great vitamins and minerals!!!
Here are some other creative ways you can enjoy eating your sweet potato.
Try them roasted, pureed, steamed, baked, or grilled. You can add them to soups or stews, chop them up and put them on top of your salad, puree them and add them to smoothies and baked goods!
Recipes:
Black bean and sweet potato soup
INGREDIENTS
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 28-can diced tomatoes
4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 28-can diced tomatoes
4 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 6 cups freshly cooked)
1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, washed and dried
1.
Warm the oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the onion, red pepper,
garlic, and salt. Saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
2.
Add the sweet potato and lime zest, and cook 10 to 15 minutes more, continuing
to stir occasionally.
3.
Add the tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and
cocoa, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
4.
Serve over brown rice.
Sweet
potato hash browns
INGREDIENTS
2
to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and grated coarsely
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup onions, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and grated coarsely
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and fry onions over medium high heat
until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sweet potatoes,
season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes
are cooked through and crispy. Some folks stir the potatoes as they cook to
keep them loose and separate, while others allow them to form a cake, which
they flip halfway through cooking to ensure even browning. Both ways are good.
Hope you grab a sweet potato or two the next time you are at the grocery store and enjoy them as much as we do in my house!
One more thing...All that nutritious talk from above does NOT count if you add brown sugar or honey or butter to your naturally sweet, SWEET POTATO! Leave that stuff off and just try it!
