Sweet Potatoes for Breakfast & Lunch

What’s so special about sweet potatoes? 

Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable that have incredible nutritional and health benefits. They are high in fiber and provide antioxidants, which help protect against cell damage. Like other orange and yellow fruits, they are rich in beta carotene. Beta carotene converts into vitamin A, which supports healthy vision and a strong immune system. Additionally, they provide essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and B6, as well as manganese and potassium. On top of that, with these host of nutrients, sweet potatoes can help reduce inflammation in the body.

Delicious Ideas for preparing

And… sweet potatoes are delicious! They are incredibly versatile, as it is easy to integrate in all your meals.  This can include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Below are some ideas:

Breakfast Sweet Potato Hash:

Hash is made with chopped meat, potatoes, and possibly fried onions. Eliminate the meat and you have got a vegetarian hash. Peel a sweet potato, shred, or chop it into cubes, and sauté in oil until potatoes are soft. Add in additional vegetables (bell peppers, onion, garlic, mushrooms, etc.) and cook for a few more minutes. Add eggs to create a hash in whatever form you like, scrambled or fried on top.

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes:

Pierce one sweet potato with a fork and microwave for 5 minutes until tender. Once potato is cool, cut in half and scoop out some of the potato filling (set aside for another use). Fill with a savory topping (eggs, meat, veggies, cheese, avocados, salsa) or sweet filling (peanut butter, banana, berries, nuts). If you don’t have a microwave, you can bake them in a 400-degree oven for 45 minutes or until fork tender

Pancakes:

Cook (boil, steam, bake, or microwave) and mash 1 sweet potato. You can also use 1 cup (8oz) of canned unsweetened sweet potato. Mix the mash with 2 eggs, a pinch of salt and a pinch of cinnamon. Blend by hand or in a blender. Heat a pan with oil or butter and cook pancakes like you would normally. For a lighter pancake, you can add ½ cup milk, ¾ cup flour, and 1 tsp baking powder to the mixture above.

Roasted:

Roasting is an easy way to prepare sweet potatoes. They can be eaten just as is, with whatever spices you want, or you can fold them into eggs, a bowl, a wrap, or a salad. Toss cubed sweet potatoes in oil and spices and roast in a 425-degree oven for 25 minutes. Roasted sweet potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Sweet Potato Bowl:

Fill a bowl with a can of black beans, corn (fresh, frozen or canned), a handful of cherry tomatoes, and a sliced avocado. Top with chopped roasted sweet potatoes and a sauce of your choice (salsa or cilantro sauce).

Sweet Potato Wrap:

Spread a tortilla with pesto. Layer in some chopped roasted sweet potatoes, greens (spinach or arugula), chopped cherry tomatoes, and additional toppings (chickpeas, pickled red onions, etc.). Easy, delicious, and portable! Easy, delicious, and portable!