Written By: Lisa M. Pressey
This sweet potato breakfast bowl was a way to utilize left over rice and small amounts of vegetables. It has basmati rice, sweet potato, mushrooms, spinach and pumpkin seeds. You may think the pumpkin seeds are strange, but they work. They add crunch, lots of nutrition and antioxidants.
Now, I know there is no meat in this recipe, but believe it or not there is protein in the plants. Contrary to what you may have been told, meat is not the only way to get your protein. In fact, spinach, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin seeds are all high in protein. Eating a combination of vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains will keep you healthy and allow you to get the protein you require.
If you are concerned about the high fat content in nuts and seed, don’t be. There are good fats and bad fats. Nuts and seeds all plentiful in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The key here is portion control, as 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories. You just need a teaspoon to get a bunch of wonderful nutrients.
Eat the Rainbow
Every ingredient in this bowl has something to offer. There is no meat, but there is still protein along with phytonutrients. Yes, plants offer protein as well as meats, they are just incomplete and need to be paired with other foods to become complete. Each color offers different phytonutrients, which protect us from chronic disease.
- RED – scavenger of cell damaging free radicals
- ORANGE – supports intracellular communication
- GREEN – cancer blocking chemicals
- BLUE/PURPLE – believed to delay cellular aging
- WHITE/BROWN – contain anti-tumor properties.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup of rice – white or brown
- baby bella mushrooms
- handful of fresh spinach
- half of a sweet potato, diced
- 1 teaspoon of pumpkin seeds
- salt
- pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Place a pan over medium heat with a tablespoon of olive or canola oil.
- I used leftover rice, but you could also use boil in the bag rice.
- Dice up the mushrooms and sweet potatoes. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook an additional 4 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Next add the leftover rice to heat it through, then cook another 2 minutes or so.
- Now add the spinach, salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with a handful of pumpkin seeds when you serve the dish.
If you don’t like pumpkin seeds you can substitute another seed or nut that you enjoy.