Sweet potatoes are great tasting and high in health-promoting nutrients. They can be found in a variety of colors (white, orange, purple) and sizes (baby, small, medium, large).
Sweet potatoes aren’t just a delicious vegetable, but a powerhouse for health benefits as well. They’re rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and they’re high in antioxidants that protect your body from free radical damage and chronic disease. In fact, according to a study from the Harvard School of Public Health, sweet potatoes may have a greater impact on improving health than any other fruit or vegetable.
There is no end to the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes. In fact, you could spend an entire afternoon learning about the wonders of sweet potatoes. Here are some facts to get you started:
- A medium sweet potato has about 6 grams of fiber. That’s a lot. It can help you feel fuller longer.
- Sweet potatoes can help lower bad cholesterol.
- They’re low in calories and fat.
- They are rich in beta-carotene and antioxidants that may help prevent vision loss and improve eye health.
- Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper and fiber which help support your immune system and gut health.
Sweet potatoes are one of the easiest vegetables to include in your diet. You can eat them without the skin and can be baked, boiled, roasted, fried, steamed, or pan-cooked. They also make a great pairing with many different seasonings and can be enjoyed in savory and sweet dishes.
Try sweet potatoes for breakfast or lunch with this delicious recipe.
Sweet Potato Egg Cups
Ingredients
- 8 oz sweet potato peeled and grated
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves plus more to serve
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp pepper or to taste
- olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, mix together sweet potato, nutritional yeast, thyme and spices.
- Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray and add mixture to 6 of the cups; press mixture into the bottom and up the sides. Spray tops with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes.
- Crack an egg into each cup and sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Bake 12-14 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Sprinkle with thyme leaves or another herb of choice and serve.
Notes
- If your diet can tolerate cheese, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese can be substituted for the nutritional yeast.
- If having this meal for lunch, you may want to have a side of 2 cups spring mix, 1/2 cup sliced cherry or grape tomatoes and 1.5 Tbsp approved vinaigrette dressing.
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