Sweet, Sweet Potatoes

I always had misconceptions about sweet potatoes. I was always under the impression that yams and sweet potatoes are the same thing. I am sure it started with Thanksgiving, where yams, heavily garnished with sugar and marshmallows, are a staple at most tables. A lot of the time, they are referred to as sweet potatoes, and I was never very fond of them. Not so much they weren't tasty, its just a member of the potatoes family slathered in sugar doesn't mesh well with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy in my experience.


In my research for healthy foods over the last few years, I kept seeing sweet potatoes pop-up. I was confused, but then realized “Well I know little to nothing about healthy eating, so why not,” so I thought I would give them another chance. I had been eating a couple of different varieties of potatoes with breakfast as it was, so why not make it healthier, or at least try?


Sweet potatoes are awesome. I eat them almost every morning now (“recipe” below) in what my coworker dubbed my “Shame Slurry.” They are a perfect substitute for Idaho, Russet or red skin potatoes. Plus, I learned the obvious, they are not as sweet as yams, and therefore mix much better with more savory ingredients and foods.


My staple breakfast is typically this:


-3/4 cup diced sweet potatoes
-diced onions
-diced green bell pepper
-broccoli
-chopped mushrooms
-3 egg whites, 1 yolk


There really is no exact amounts I follow. I dice sweet potatoes until I have roughly ¾ of a cup, and start those first in the pan, just below medium heat (4 on my stove) with some coconut oil. The sweet potatoes need the most time, so I dice the vegetables while those get a head start. Personally I get tired of mushrooms quick, but you can use most any veggies, and sometimes I will even use fresh jalapenos. Again, not much of an exact science, and I dice about a half cup of each. Once I put those in the pan (while stirring occasionally) I start the eggs. I put the 3 egg whites and 1 yolk in a glass and mix. Once the sweet potatoes and vegetables are slightly browned, I make a circle in the middle and dump the eggs in. You can add some cheese at the very end, I will add a little feta, but its not the healthiest, as well as some Frank's Red Hot sauce.



I love this breakfast and rarely get tired of it as the only two staples are sweet potatoes and the eggs. When I get sick of a certain combination, I will switch it up the next visit to the grocery store. Its also great if you use a little cheese to bond it together and put it on a toasted bagel. I have also used ground beef (lean of course) or turkey meat in addition to everything else, and it might even be more magical.