Food Focus: Sweet Potatoes

Looking for a quick, easy way to add more nutrition to your plate? Reach for sweet potatoes. Inside sweet potatoes are many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Despite its sweet taste, it contains nutrients that help regulate blood sugar. A small sweet potato contains about 100 calories, 22 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of energy for runners.

Here is a recipe for Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans that will be useful to add to your “What do I eat tonight?” repertoire.

Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans

Ingredients
  • 1 sweet potato, cut into ½” inch slices
  • ½ cup black beans, rinsed
  • 4 scallions, sliced, white and some green parts
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil*
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp salt
Directions
  1. Cook the sweet potatoes in a steamer basket on the stove for seven minutes (or microwave it instead, if you use one).
  2. Combine the remaining ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Serve the bean mixture on top of the sweet potato.
* Don’t skip the oil. The fat in the olive oil enhances the uptake of the nutrient beta-carotene.