Healthy Habits: Get Sweet on Sweet Potatoes

It wasn't until relatively recently that I discovered the joys of the sweet potato. My mother detests them, hence they didn't appear on our dinner table with any regularity...or ever. Once I did get the chance to sample this wonder veggie, it became one of my favorite foods. Not only does it deliver a distinctive sugary taste, but it also provides several nutritional advantages.

One small potato provides a whopping 262% of your daily needs for vitamin A as beta carotene, plus plenty of vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber; the beta carotene and vitamin C make sweet potatoes an antioxidant-rich superfood. Sweet potatoes are also known for their lower glycemic load in comparison to other potatoes, meaning that their carbohydrates are digested more slowly. While any kind of potato is perfectly suitable for a healthy diet, sweet potatoes might be a better choice for those concerned about blood sugar levels.

For more information about the nutritional profile of sweet potatoes, visit this website.
In addition to the traditional marshmallow and brown-sugar concoction that appears on special holidays, sweet potatoes may be prepared and enjoyed in a multitude of ways. Although I am a fan due to their innate tastiness, the food blogger in me loves the color sweet potatoes add to the plate--they make for great pictures:) Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy them:

Simply baked or microwaved, and topped with cinnamon, sometimes with nuts as well.

Cut into spears, sprinkled with spices, and baked to make oven fries.

Mashed with greens, as in Lindsay's African Kale Mash

Combined with beans and veggies for a spontaneous hash. (Best with black beans).

Baked and topped with hummus and paprika.

Topped with canned (top) or homemade (bottom) chili.

Topped with refried beans and salsa.

The possibilities are endless! I'd love to hear how all you creative foodies out there enjoy your sweet potatoes.

Before I go, I have a request regarding another superfood, flax seed. I have two large containers of ground flax seed to use up, and I am looking for ways to incorporate it its valuable omega-3s into my diet. How do you use ground flax?

Well, I must return to studying for the evening. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Announcing...Greta!!

Remember when I visited the dog breeder over Thanksgiving? Well, my sister and her husband officially brought home their boxer pup for good on Sunday afternoon, and I have been soakin' up the puppy love ever since. Greta is going to be so spoiled--because her Aunt Caroline is already smitten with her! Here are a few pictures from her first few days at home:
Here's what I've been munching on, between my cuddle sessions with Greta and Christmas shopping:

Monday
I indulged myself a little on Monday by making a Chocolate-Banana Shake with chocolate pudding, frozen banana, soymilk, and chocolate Spirutein. I also had some chocolate syrup on top, which promptly sank to the bottom.
Tuesday
I sampled another variety of Rudi's bagels yesterday morning. This time, I toasted up a cinnamon raisin bagel and spread it with Cinnamon Raisin PB, of course. On the side, I had a peach-blueberry smoothie made with almond milk. Perfect fuel for hittin' the mall!
Amidst my Christmas shopping, I managed to make a stop at Williams-Sonoma, where I got myself a few foodie treats. Oddly enough, I discovered both of these items through food blogs!
For lunch, I made some fajitas with refried black beans, chopped avocado, and salsa. I served those alongside a salad and clementines.
Before heading out for more shopping and a visit with Greta, I made a quick dinner: Coconut Curry Chickpeas from Clean Eating. I made a few alterations, namely the subsitution of broccoli slaw for shredded cabbage. Believe it or not, there are some vegetables I simply refuse to eat, and cabbage is one of them! On the side, I had an Ezekiel pita, salad with Woodstock dressing, and fresh blackberries.
My smoothie last night consisted of a classic combo, strawberry and banana. I combined strawberries, banana, soymilk, and berry hemp protein for a delectable treat.
Wednesday
I was famished this morning after my workout, and nothing fills me up like scrambled tofu. I added zucchini and mushrooms to the usual tahini, ginger, soy sauce, and garlic. I had toast and a clementine on the side. Do you have a favorite meal to prepare when you're really hungry?
Today's lunch was a taco salad, consisting of homemade tortilla chips, lettuce, leftover refried black beans, and Smoky Avocado Sauce from ED&BV. I rounded it out with some mango.
I am off to watch the Duke game on TV with my B-I-L Ryan. Let's go Blue Devils!

Be back soon!

Keep on Chuggin'

As of 9:45 this morning, I let out a sigh of relief--my stats test is over! Only one more until the end of the semester! Ordinarily, I would be in total relaxation mode right now, but it's that time of the semester when assignments and projects just keep coming. Oh well--my workload is not keeping me from attending the basketball game tonight:) Consequently, I am posting now rather than later so as to avoid another "hiccup" (see Sunday's post).

Due to my weekend of playing and working, my diet became, well, random and uninspired. Here are the goods anyway:

Friday
Following a late-night chat session with one of my close friends, I whipped up a delicious smoothie at 2AM. This one included blueberries, peaches, acai hemp protein, soymilk, and delectable ginger granola.
Saturday
After a leisurely workout at the gym, I returned home to a still sleeping roomie, so I kept breakfast simple and minimally noisy in preparation. I combined pumpkin with flax, cinnamon, and agave nectar and spread it on a whole wheat sandwich thin. On the side, I had some plain yogurt with sliced grapes.
I spent much of my afternoon waiting around for someone to return a text about studying--he never responded, and I missed the last home football game of the season as a result. To add insult to injury, he was the one who wanted to study together in the first place! As Stephanie Tanner would say, "How rude!" To assuage my grumpy mood, I decided some lunch was in order. I made some refried bean fajitas with bell peppers and salsa. I also had an apple with cashew butter.
I had had quite enough waiting around, so I headed to the mall with my friends for the evening. After a few impulse buys, we decided it was time for some fuel and headed to California Pizza Kitchen. I ordered my favorite Smashed Pea Soup plus a half Mediterranean Salad. My favorite thing about that salad is the little bed of hummus waiting for you at the bottom. Delish.
Oh yeah, Kristen wanted me to show you what she got: mushroom-sausage-pepperoni pizza. No tofu for her!
We spent the evening hanging out on campus with some Navy boys (Kristen is in NROTC). When I returned, I made another 2 AM blender concoction: chocolate hemp protein, banana, strawberries, soymilk, and dairy-free chocolate chips. Repetitive, but oh-so-good.
Sunday
After seeing similar ideas on other blogs, I decided to make myself a bowl of raspberry oats. In addition to the main ingredients, I also included cinnamon, vanilla extract, and chopped almonds. My roommate thinks my oatmeal creations are so odd--they're either bright orange (pumpkin oats!) or bright pink (berry oats!). I like to "taste the rainbow."
The afternoon was spent at a mandatory sorority event at which the offerings were pepperoni pizza and soda. Boo! I made a leftovers sandwich instead: refried black beans, tofu, and salsa on the last two pieces of my whole wheat bread. On the side, I had a salad with honey-roasted peanuts and an orange.
Dinner was completely random but still tasty: I combined corn, tomatoes, a Sunshine burger, and dill for an impromptu salad. I also had some snap peas and an apple.
Once my studying had reached its conclusion for the evening, I made a big, tasty shake. It was almost the same as Saturday's, except I added a hefty dose of coconut to the mix. I was really sad when I reached the bottom of my big green cup:(
Monday
As I put some finishing touches on my stats studying, I gobbled down a bowl of Kashi Mighty Bites with sliced banana, rice milk, and wheat germ. I also had a side of GORP (good ol' raisins and peanuts).
With my classes and responsibilities behind me, I settled in for an easy lunch of tofu scramble. This tasty mess included tofu, tahini, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and broccoli. On the side, I had toast and a rather seed-tastic orange. Despite the messy orange, this meal was so comforting, as always.
Now, I am off to shower and maybe squeeze in some studying before my dining committee meeting and the basketball game. Happy Monday!