Monday Challenge:

Sweet Potatoes

What’s your favorite food? This is mine :)

I think sweet potatoes are the best. You can eat them for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for dessert, or even as a snack. They’re great hot or cold.

Sweet potatoes are not just for holiday meals (where they’re often served loaded with sugar and fat). They need no added sugar.

They not only taste good but they’re good for you:

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect your body from free radical damage and promote a healthy gut and brain.
Sweet potatoes are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support good vision and your immune system.
Sweet potatoes have low glycemic index (lower than regular potatoes) so they won’t spike your blood sugar.
Sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium, which naturally helps to lower blood pressure by reducing the effects of sodium and tension in the blood vessels. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon to pump up that BP lowering power.

Sweet potatoes are great to batch cook so you have them available all week long. And they’re budget friendly.

I like to wash them, cut them in half and bake (cut side down) for 20 to 30 minutes. You can eat them cold when you’re on the go. Try reheating them in your air fryer – amazing!

You can also use sweet potatoes to both flavor and thicken your soup or stew.

Your challenge this week is to add sweet potatoes to your menu.

Sweet potatoes are so versatile and can be easily added to your diet. Try them for breakfast, for lunch, for dinner, for dessert, or even as a snack. Need recipe ideas? Let me know.

How will you enjoy them this week?

Let me know in the comments below.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button :)

Iron Rich Lentil Salad

In my last newsletter, Iron’s Irony, we talked about the iron in your diet. This week I want to share one of my favorite salads, Iron Rich Lentil Salad, which has 6.8 mg of iron per serving.

The roasted vegetables in this Iron Rich Lentil Salad pair nicely with the lentils and whole grains. Balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and thyme offer a complexity of flavor. I like this salad because it is delicious whether you eat it warm (after you prepare it) or take it with you for a healthy and delicious cold lunch.

A bit of meal prep can make this salad easy to pull together. The day before you make the salad you will want to soak your whole grains. Soaking whole grains releases their minerals, making it easier for your body to absorb them. Soaking grains overnight also decreases the cooking time. Simply give the grain a good rinse, place in a bowl, cover with 3 times the amount of water and let soak at least 8 hours

Lentils do not need to be soaked but they can be cooked in advance. Rinse 1 cup of dried lentils and place in pot with 3 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.

You can also cut the vegetables and roast ahead of time. Pre-heat over to 425 degrees F. Arrange veggies in a single layer on baking pans with parchment paper (use 2 pans if needed). Roast veggies for 20-30 minutes, until tender (depends on which veggies you use and how big they are cut).

I like to use carrots, sweet potatoes, and onions in my Lentil Salad but this salad will easily work with other roasted vegetables you enjoy. I’ve had it with mushrooms and zucchini - use what you have on hand! Use whole grains like wheat berries, kamut, and farro for this recipe. These grains have a pleasantly chewy texture and rich, buttery flavor that is perfect for salads.

Print Recipe

Iron Rich Lentil Salad

4 servings

3 carrots, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium sweet potato, cubed
2 onions, slivered or large dice
2 1/2 cups of cooked lentils (cook 1 cup dried lentils)
1 cup of cooked whole grains - try wheat berries, kamut, or farro (cooked per directions on package)
1/4 cup of Balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange veggies in a single layer on baking pans with parchment paper (use 2 pans if needed). Roast veggies for 20-30 minutes, until tender (depends on which veggies you use and how big they are cut).
While the veggies are cooking, mix together the cooked lentils and cooked whole grains. Add the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and thyme.
Once the veggies are done , mix together with the lentil mixture. Serve as is or serve over a bed of greens. I like to top with chopped bell pepper (raw). Enjoy!

Leftovers will keep up to 5 days in your refrigerator. Leftovers can be eaten cold and make great lunches!

Will you try this salad? Let me know in the comments below :)