Grain-free sweet potato breakfast bowl
If you're looking to shake up your breakfast routine, then this grain free sweet potato breakfast bowl is a must try.
I'm a creature of habit in nearly every aspect of my life, but especially so when it comes to eating. Once I've found something that satisfies in both taste and nutritional benefit, I'll have it, or something like it, every single day for months.
But every once in a while I remember that this habit means that I'm probably getting way less variety than I want in my diet, and food variety is essential for providing our bodies with a range of different key nutrients.
So instead of my usual breakfast smoothie or warm bowl of oatmeal, I decided to switch things up and try something new.
The idea to incorporate sweet potato into my breakfast routine came to me, first, because I don't eat it nearly as much I'd like to. But on top of this, sweet potatoes are warm, sweet and incredibly comforting to eat, which, in my books, translates to an ideal breakfast ingredient. Now add in the fact that they're loaded with antioxidants, which may help to reduce the risk of chronic disease; high in dietary fiber, keeping you fuller for longer periods of time; and contain significant amounts of Vitamin A (one sweet potato is said to contain 438% of the daily recommended amount), which enhances our immunity in several ways, for example, by stimulating the production of our immune cells to help fight against disease and infection. The list goes on and you can read more about the healthy benefits of sweet potatoes here.
Like most breakfast bowls, this one can be modified easily to suit your taste, dietary preferences or to accommodate whatever you have on hand in your fridge or pantry at the moment. For my first attempt, I included fresh berries, almond butter, walnuts, hemp seeds and shredded coconut. Bananas, cinnamon, coconut yogurt, pomegranate seeds, raw sesame seed butter and homemade fruits jams are some of the ingredients that I'm looking forward to using when I try this again.
The bottom line is, if you're a sweet potato fan then this bowl will not disappoint; it is remarkably easy to make (and easily modified), naturally sweet and full of flavor, and packed with nutritional benefits.
The version below is grain free, gluten free, and free of any added sugars.
Grain Free Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: approximately 90 minutes | Yields: one breakfast bowl
Ingredients
1 large, round sweet potato
1 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp almond butter (or nut butter of your choice)
handful of fresh seasonal berries
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
optional: a dash of pink himalayan salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Wash sweet potato well; while the sweet potato is still slightly damp, use a fork to pierce it with holes several times and use coconut oil to lightly coat it.
Wrap the potato in tin foil (I like to loosely wrap potato to allow the steam to permeate, which in my experience, allows it cook more evenly), and place it in the oven for approximately 90 minutes. Every stove is different, so check the progress (by inserting a knife or fork into the middle of the potato to check for softness) after 45, 60 and 75 minutes to make sure it does not overcook.
Remove the potato from the oven and tin foil, cut down the middle (lengthwise) so it is open face. Use a fork to fluff the meat of the potato.
On top of the sweet potato, layer on almond butter, fruit, coconut, nuts and seeds.
Tip: Bake the sweet potato the night before if you are short on time in the mornings. To reheat it, place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes on a lower heat (150-250 degrees). Once it has warmed up, then go ahead and add your toppings.
