Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl- Different But Delicious

Tired of the same old/same old for breakfast? 

Try a breakfast bowl featuring moist and healthy mashed sweet potato. 

Who said you have to eat traditional breakfast foods?

 

This breakfast bowl consists of (cold or room temperature) mashed sweet potato with sliced banana. cinnamon, cardamom, ground flax seed, and chopped walnuts. It's one of my favorite breakfasts when I am looking for an alternative to a bowl of oatmeal. 

After a week of eating oatmeal every morning, I start to crave something different. This sweet potato bowl really hits the spot. 

If you don't like bananas, try another fruit such as strawberries or blueberries. 

I Cook My Sweet Potato The Night Before

For convenience, I cook the sweet potato the night before so in the morning I just assemble the few ingredients. 

I wash and quarter my sweet potato and cook it in the pressure cooker for 16 minutes the day before or if time permits that morning. The sweet potato comes out soft and moist OR you could just steam in a little steaming basket in a pot on the stove top for probably about 20-25 minutes depending on the size. 

You may be wondering why the sweet potato is not orange. 

Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors. I've seen purple, white, yellow, violet, and orange. 

I believe I used a sweet potato for this photo which is dark reddish purple skinned but very light yellow/green on the inside. Whole Foods carries a few varieties of sweet potatoes.

Flax Seed 

I add lots of nutrient-dense condiments to my bowl such as ground flax seed. I purchase the whole flax seed and grind it fresh every few days in my coffee grinder (which I only use for seeds, not coffee). When you purchase a bag of pre-ground flax seed, the oils in the flax tend to go rancid more quickly than the whole seed. So, I grind as I need it.

According to the Mayo Clinic, flax seed is a good source of fiber and may help with constipation. Flax also provides generous amounts of Omega 3's. It can be added to oatmeal or any cereal, mixed with mustard to use on a sandwich, add to baked goods etc. (source)

Cinnamon 

Personally, I love the taste of cinnamon and I use it generously. It is thought to have a positive effect on helping to lower blood sugar. 

An online article in Healthline (source) said, 

• "Cinnamon can lower blood sugar by acting like insulin and increasing insulin’s ability to move blood sugar into cells." - Healthline
• 
  
• "Cinnamon does not contain many vitamins or minerals, but it is loaded with antioxidants that decrease oxidative stress. This may potentially protect against diabetes." Healthline

Walnuts

An online post on Healthline (source) said the following,

• "Walnuts are an excellent source of several vitamins and minerals. These include copper, folic acid, phosphorus, vitamin B6, manganese, and vitamin E.(source)
• 
  
• "Walnuts are one of the richest dietary sources of antioxidants. These include ellagic acid, ellagitannins, catechin, and melatonin."(source)

• "Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy fats and high in antioxidants."(source)

  "What’s more, regularly eating walnuts may improve brain health and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer." (source)

Nutrients In Sweet Potatoes 

• Beta carotene which the body transforms into Vitamin A which is essential for healthy eyes. 
• B vitamins 
• Vitamin C
• Potassium
• Fiber
• Low in fat

Surprisingly, this tastes exceptionally delicious and is a highly nutritious way to start the day! I sometimes have a side bowl of broccoli with it too- but that's me!

Other breakfast ideas include oatmeal breakfast cookies , Instant Pot steel cut oats with berries and walnuts, Creamy Overnight Oats, Low-fat Apple and Peanut Butter, 

I make a similar breakfast bowl but oatmeal is my base. 

Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 of cooked sweet potato, mashed

1 banana, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon of chopped walnuts 

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 

few pinches of cardamom to taste

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric (strong taste- but I like it)

Directions:

Mash sweet potato and place it in a bowl. Slice the bananas around it, add chopped walnuts, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, and cardamom. Enjoy. 

My Notes:

1. When you eat any high fiber food such as flax seed, it is good to consume a good amount of water.

2. If you feel that you would not enjoy this for breakfast, you may enjoy as a healthy snack.

3.  I often alternate flax seeds with chia seeds or both.

4.. Leftover sweet cooked sweet potatoes? Make this for breakfast or try my leftover sweet potato soup (link)  Quick and Easy Spicy Sweet Potato Blender Soup in five minutes.

What Do YOU Think? Would you eat it for breakfast? 

Sharing today's post with Marg at The Intrepid Reader and Baker for Weekend Cooking where anyone can share a food related post. Come see what's cooking.