Good Food: Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl by emily penn

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Welcome to the Better Breakfast Bowl Series! A better breakfast bowl tastes amazing, keeps you full & gives you the energy you need to get through your day. It’s full of satiating healthy fats, fiber & complex carbohydrates. Best of all, it’s fast to make. While better breakfast bowls are ideally enjoyed sitting down before getting into your day, they’re also portable for those days when that’s just not possible. 

the good

The Sweet Potato Bowl is the best way to eat vegetables for breakfast without even realizing you’re doing it. Sweet potato's natural sweetness makes this bowl feel like a real treat, but it’s packed with essential vitamins & minerals.

The creamy addition of your favorite nondairy yogurt or chia pudding plus nut or seed butter makes it almost seem like dessert! Top with some crunchy granola, nuts or seeds for the ultimate combination of crunchy, creamy, and comforting.

This breakfast is on heavy rotation during the colder months since it’s a little heartier and has a little more of that stick-to-your-ribs feeling. That being said, it can be enjoyed all year round if that’s what you’re into!

the medicine

Sweet potatoes are jam packed with nutrients including vitamin C, antioxidants, beta-carotene, fiber, and more. They are considered a complex carbohydrate, meaning they’re broken down more slowly by your body – keeping blood sugar stable and providing a steady stream of energy.

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If you opt for yogurt you’re getting probiotics, which are vital for gut health. If you use chia pudding you’re getting fiber & omega 3 essential fatty acids from the chia seeds. I like to throw a little yogurt in my chia pudding for the best of both worlds!

My go-to nut/seed butters are almond butter and sunflower seed butter. Both are full of healthy fats, protein, fiber and vitamin E – an important antioxidant that contributes to skin health.

I use cinnamon anywhere I can for its natural sweetness and its blood-sugar regulating effect.

tips

My absolute FAVORITE sweet potato to use for this bowl is the Japanese sweet potato – they have a light purple skin and are white on the inside. They are SO creamy and have this marshmallow flavor that is out of this world.

Roast or steam several sweet potatoes at once so that you have enough for a few meals. They last up to a week in the fridge! I’m partial to steaming them because it’s fast and creates a really creamy texture.

If you have time or desire a warm breakfast, you can gently reheat the sweet potatoes. I throw them in a pan with a dab of coconut oil and add the salt and cinnamon.

If you’ve never made chia pudding the basic recipe is this: 2-3 tbsp chia seeds + 1 cup of nondairy milk. Put into a jar with a lid and shake until chia seeds are well distributed, or whisk in a bowl. You can make several servings at once as it will stay good up to 4 days in the fridge.

If you have a busy week, pre-assemble the bowls in to-go containers in your fridge. It takes only a few minutes and you’ve got breakfast on deck almost all week!

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Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

prep time 5 minutes / total time 5 minutes
A delicious & nutrient-dense way to start your day! Steam or roast several sweet potatoes ahead of time & you can have breakfast effortlessly all week.

ingredients
1 cup cubed sweet potato, previously roasted or steamed
¼ - ½ cup your favorite nondairy yogurt or chia pudding
2 tbsp nut or seed butter
¼ cup fruit (optional)
½ tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

toppings
hemp seeds
raisins
cacao nibs
granola

directions
1.    If desired, reheat the sweet potatoes in a pan with a dab of coconut oil, the cinnamon and the salt.
2.    Assemble all ingredients in a bowl or to-go container.
3.    When ready to eat, add desired toppings.
4.    Enjoy! I hope you feel full, happy & ready to take on your day!

Good Food: Chocolate Cinnamon Maca Balls by emily penn

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the good
Ever since I came up with this recipe, I've been making it weekly. I love it so much. It's the perfect sweet treat that will take me through the afternoon until dinner. I even enjoy it as a dessert occasionally!

the medicine
Healthy fats from the walnuts, seeds and coconut fill you up & help keep blood sugar stable so you're not crashing a few hours later. 

These also include one awesome ingredient - maca. Maca is a root from South America & was used medicinally for thousands of years by the Peruvians. At one point it "was considered such a potent and valuable herb, its use was restricted to the royal court and the imperial family". Maca supports energy, balances hormones, supports fertility, supports immunity, & has positive effects on mood. It also has a slightly sweet, malty flavor so it's perfect to pair with dessert or throw in smoothies. I love it - I add it to smoothies & morning bevvies all the time. If you don't have maca - don't worry this recipe will still work & is still awesome.

tips
You can make these keto-friendly by omitting the dates & sweetening with stevia instead. They won't be as "sticky" but can still be rolled into balls. Alternatively you can press them into a pan, let them harden and then cut into bars.

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Chocolate Cinnamon Maca Balls

total time 10 min/makes 20ish balls

ingredients
1 cup walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup coconut butter, soft
2 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp cacao nibs (optional)
1 tbsp maca (optional)
1 tbsp cinnamon
4 dates
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

directions
1. If your dates aren't already super soft, soak them in warm water for a few minutes while you put everything else in a food processor. 
2. Process all ingredients for a couple minutes until dates, nuts & seeds are broken down & it's a mostly smooth mixture.
3. Form the mixture into bite-sized balls. This is best done by kind of squeezing the dough into a ball shape & tossing it from hand to hand, gently squeezing & shaping. It doesn't roll between your palms like most energy balls (because it has much fewer dates - aka that sticky binding agent).
4. Arrange on a plate & stick in the fridge for an hour or so to set. Once set, you can store them in the fridge for a week or so, or in the freezer for much longer.

Good Food: High Energy Super Snacks by emily penn

the good

I've given you two options for these nut mixes - one sweet and savory to accommodate your snacking mood. These are super fast to make, you can make a lot and have snacks on deck for weeks, plus it's cheaper than buying store-bought stuff!

the medicine

Nuts & seeds are packed with healthy fats, protein & other important vitamins & minerals to help keep energy high & tide you over until your next meal. They're also easy to grab & take on the go. I roast them at a low temperature to keep their healthy  fats intact (high heat can damage oils found in nuts & seeds). Also if you're feeling like a super star, you could soak & dehydrate your nuts ahead of time.

Curried Nut + Seed mix

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active time: 5 min/total time: 30

ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup coconut chips
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper to taste

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250. Put walnuts, pumpkin seeds & coconut chips in a small bowl & set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, gently warm olive oil, curry powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Mix well. Once small bubbles start to appear in the oil, turn off the heat & let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Pour oil & spice mixture over nuts. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden (the coconut chips are a good gauge). Let cool completely & store in an airtight container. 

Sweet + Spiced Nuts

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active time: 5 min/total time: 30 min

ingredients
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup coconut chips
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
generous pinch of salt

directions
1. Preheat oven to 250. Put pecans, hazelnuts & coconut chips in a small bowl & set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, gently warm coconut oil, cinnamon, clove & salt. Mix well. Once small bubbles start to appear in the oil, turn off the heat & let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Pour oil & spice mixture over nuts. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden (the coconut chips are a good gauge). Let cool completely & store in an airtight container.