One of my go-to lunches is a large baked sweet potato simply loaded up with toppings. I like it because it is not only packed with essential vitamins and minerals, but it is SO EASY AND SO FILLING. I feel like when a lot of people think of a baked sweet potato or any kind of potato, they think of just butter and/or sour cream. That’s more of a side kind of potato. But when you add all sorts of good stuff, it becomes a meal in itself.
Options are endless when it comes to toppings, but some of my favorites are included below. I think you’ll be surprised by how filling it can be once you add a rainbow of goodness to it.
To make things easier for yourself, plan on baking about 5-6 large sweet potatoes on the weekend all at once. I just poke holes in them and add to a lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 F for about an hour or so (or until soft). You can also use a microwave if you are strapped for time, but they are SO SO gooey and sweet if you bake in the oven. I highly recommend!
#1: Garlicky Kale + Chickpeas
This sweet potato is topped with garlicky kale, chickpeas, quinoa, avocado, and a maple peanut butter drizzle.
For the garlicky kale, simply sauté kale with some minced garlic and a bit of water until wilted. Add that then top with cooked quinoa, chickpeas, avocado. For the dressing, I simply mix about 1 tbsp peanut butter with 1/2 tbsp maple syrup and a bit of water to thin out. I also topped with some red pepper flakes.
#2: Beans, Corn, and Ranch
For this sweet potato, I topped with black beans, corn, quinoa, broccoli, and some vegan ranch dressing. The vegan ranch dressing is made with about 1 tbsp vegan mayo, drop of apple cider vinegar, dash of onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dill – a little water to thin out.
#3: Beans, Corn, + Salsa
I like adding beans as a good source of protein (can you sense the pattern?) This one has pinto beans, corn, red pepper, tomato, spinach, and salsa. Really really simple stuff.
#4: Kale, Tahini, and Pecans
More sautéed kale on this sweet potato with some quinoa, tahini, and pecans. This is so warm.
#5: Golden Quinoa, Spinch, and Walnuts
For golden quinoa, I simply cooked my quinoa with a tbsp of turmeric. Once that is done, add to baked potato and top with some spinach, corn, and walnuts. This was actually a go-to meal for me when I was pregnant with Willow. Lots of folate and protein!
So there you have it – five incredible sweet potatoes. Let me know which one you’d be inclined to try in the comments. My favorite is probably #1!
I hope you’ll give one (or all) of them a try. Thanks for reading! xx bianca
