Kick Off the New Year Healthy & Top-8 Free With... Sweet Potato Toast!
Happy New Year! If you are anything like me, you are trying to start fresh this month - particularly when it comes to clean eating. Yes, the holidays would not be the same without the amazing sweets and treats of the season, but most people spend the month of January looking for ways to infuse some all-natural goodness into their families' diets. If you're like me and trying to find some creative, yet wholesome, kid-pleasers to add to your healthy eating repertoire, let me introduce you to something that is totally going to surprise you if you haven't tried it before... sweet potato toast!
Now, when I say sweet potato toast, please don't misunderstand - I'm not talking about a bread that is made from sweet potato. I am talking about taking an actual sweet potato, cutting it into slices and putting it in your toaster! Yep, you heard that right.
Before you dismiss this as crazy and chalk it up to something that your kids will never try, let me give you a some food for thought. As a general rule, cooking outside of the box (literally) is ALWAYS worth a try. Why? First of all, you are in complete control of your ingredients, which not only makes you healthier, but also keeps your allergy kid safer. There are no sneaky ingredients, there is no cross-contamination - you are in charge when you cook from scratch. But, the best thing about this particular dish is that you are replacing bread with a full serving of vegetables. Especially if you are gluten-free or just wanting to cut out the amount of processed carbs you are consuming, this could not be a more nutritious swap.
And, yes, while sweet potatoes alone might be a tough sell at your house, let me tell you what is going to win your kids over - toppings! The sky is the limit to what you can do with this to make it the perfect breakfast or after school snack. My family's ultimate favorite is Sunbutter and apples on their sweet potato toast, but there is so much that you can try. So, get creative! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
dairy-free butter, coconut oil or Sunbutter
cinnamon
fresh fruit (we love apples, bananas and raspberries at my house - but use your imagination!)
chocolate chips
dried fruit
pumpkin seeds
allergy-safe chicken salad (this is my personal favorite!)
Sweet Potato Toast
1 large sweet potato, cut lengthwise into 1/2-1 inch slices
*toppings of your choice
Put a slice of sweet potato into the toaster and toast 2-3 times, depending on the thickness of your piece. Let the slice cool for a minute or two, then top with whatever you'd like!
I hope you'll give this a try. Here's to a healthy and SAFE start to 2018. Enjoy!
