Sweet Potatoes~ Are you eating them?

Hi everyone, it's Pam again and I want to talk Sweet Potatoes!

As many of you who follow me, know that I have chosen to eat Vegan ( no animal products). This is a choice I have made for my reasons!  I eat clean, real foods without preservatives.

I have found many great vegan recipes from other blogs, books and restaurants and sometimes I just get creative and do my own.

I eat a lot of sweet potatoes these days as they are a staple in my pantry. They make a quick meal or snack by just baking them or microwaving them.

Here are a few benefits of sweet potatoes:

1.  They are high in vitamin B6.  Vitamin B6 helps reduce the chemical homocysteine in our bodies.  Homocysteine has been linked with degenerative diseases, including the prevention of heart attacks.

2. They are a good source of vitamin C.  While most people know that vitamin C is important to help ward off cold and flu viruses, few people are aware that this crucial vitamin plays an important role in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It helps accelerate wound healing, produces collagen which helps maintain skin’s youthful elasticity, and is essen­tial to helping us cope with stress. It even appears to help protect our body against toxins that may be linked to cancer.

3.  They contain Vitamin D which is critical for immune system and overall health at this time of year.  Both a vitamin and a hormone, vitamin D is primarily made in our bodies as a result of getting adequate sunlight. You may have heard about seasonal affective disorder (or SAD, as it is also called), which is linked to inadequate sunlight and therefore a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin Dplays an important role in our energy levels, moods, and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, and it supports the thyroid gland.

4.  Sweet potatoes contain iron. Most people are aware that we need the mineral iron to have adequate energy, but iron plays other important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper im­mune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.

5.  Sweet potatoes are a good source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the popula­tion in North America may be deficient in this important mineral.

I love Mexican food and sweet potatoes so I got creative and came up with sweet potato tacos.  YUM!!

Here is the recipe:

SWEET POTATO TACOS

2 large sweet potatoes cubed

1 head of cabbage ( i used half for 2 people) shredded or chopped

4 tablespoons of lime juice

1 tablespoon of basil

Chopped cilantro

1/2 onion chopped

1 clove of garlic

2 cans of black beans ( drained and rinsed)

Avocados sliced

salsa

corn tortillas

Toss potatoes with olive oil and season with cumin and chili powder. Roast at 400 until tender

Place shredded cabbage in bowl. Mix lime juice and basil in separate bowl and stir well. pour over cabbage and then add cilantro. Toss to mix and set in refrigerator. 

Meanwhile add olive oil to skillet and cook onion and garlic until tender and golden, Then add drained black beans and heat until warm.

I used these tortillas from Sprouts, but any corn tortilla would work ( just read your labels )

To assemble:

fill tortilla with bean mixture, then potatoes and then cabbage mix. Top with avocado slices and salsa and enjoy!

Are you eating your sweet potatoes on a regular basis?