Protein Loaded Sweet Potato

I believe that the only thing better than a baked potato is a baked sweet potato. And the delicious protein-loaded sweet potato we are making today is stuffed with a ton of good stuff to make the most nourishing meal ever.

I love baking potatoes of all sorts. I have a whole bunch of recipes because other than being super delicious and absolute comfort food, baked potatoes are also a very easy way to make a nice meal without much work. 

For this recipe, I switched things up a bit and instead of regular potatoes I made a baked sweet potato. You can use either, however, I love the unique flavour of sweet potatoes and switching things up every now and then, is a really simple and easy way to add more nutrients to your diet. 

Sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium, iron, vitamin A, C, and fibre. They have more antioxidants than white potatoes. Also, they have a lower glycemic index, which means you are not spiking your blood sugar levels. 

I love baking them because it's a hands-off job. I can do so many other things while they are in the oven. And, for sweet potatoes the cooking methods matter, the taste, consistency and nutrition will vary quite a bit and baking them is definitely my favourite. 

I added a few different things to this loaded sweet potato. I wanted to have a fully nourishing meal and a decent amount of protein on the same plate. And the beauty here is that sweet potatoes go well with a whole bunch of different foods. 

The stuffing is super simple yet incredibly flavourful. I had some cooked blacked beans in the fridge to which I added spinach. I heated up the mix in a saucepan and added a bit of water to make sure not to dry out the beans. Once it is warm, keep it on the side while we prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

We are making a humus sauce-type thing. This will add a creamy texture, a bit more protein and a whole lot of taste. I mixed the hummus with water and lemon juice so we have a zesty touch on these baked potatoes. Adjust the amount of water accordingly to get the consistency you like. 

Now, is the time to stack everything. I split the sweet potato open, smeared some of the hummus sauce and topped it off with the spinach and bean concoction. And just to finish it off drizzle with a bit more lemon juice. 

The lemon will add more of that fresh zesty taste we so much love. And, as a side benefit, the vitamin C in it will also help with the iron absorption that we get from the sweet potato, spinach and beans. 

We get so much from this baked sweet potato recipe! It's a super easy dinner option, nourishing and so delicious. And one that the whole family will absolutely love!