MEDITERRANEAN SWEET POTATOES

Photo courtesy of Food Lion

It’s no secret that eating the Mediterranean way helps promote heart health and weight loss. But fast-paced modern living makes it hard to stick to any diet, especially during the holidays. This is why our healthy Mediterranean alternatives make a great addition to your holiday menu.

Sweet potatoes are a delicious way to up your Vitamin A intake! The problem is that most people’s recipe books only include sweet potatoes that are smothered in brown sugar, butter, and melted marshmallows. Here’s a healthier way to utilize the rich Vitamin A and nutty undertones of sweet potatoes.

This Mediterranean Sweet Potato recipe has more than a full day’s worth of Vitamin A to help improve eye health, support your immune system, and build bone health. Bonus: sweet potatoes also have almost a quarter of your daily fiber, too! Additionally, foods like this recipe that follow a Mediterranean diet are proven to help you lose weight faster. Use this savory twist on sweet potatoes for a dinner that’s friendly to the Mediterranean diet lifestyle–and tastes amazing!

*In a single 2-year study, subjects following a reduced-calorie Mediterranean diet lost an average of 9.7 pounds, versus an average of 6.3 pounds for subjects following a reduced-calorie low-fat diet. Shai I, et al. Weight Loss with a Low-Carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or Low-Fat Diet. The New England Journal of Medicine, 2008.

From: Food Lion

Servings: 4

Mediterranean Sweet Potatoes:

4 large sweet potatoes

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained

8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Parsley, finely chopped for garnish

Garlic Herb Sauce:

1/2 cup hummus

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried dill

2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-2 tablespoons whole milk or half & half

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash the sweet potatoes. Bake the sweet potatoes in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 1 hour, or until soft.
2. Place the chickpeas on a parchment or aluminum foil lined half sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden in color.
3. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the garlic herb sauce. Set aside.
4. Cut the potatoes in half. Use a fork or spoon to mash up the cooked potato a little. Top with roasted chickpeas, quartered cherry tomatoes and drizzle with garlic herb sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy immediately.

As you make this healthy dinner recipe, give the gift of Vitamin A to someone else as well. Modere donates to Vitamin Angels, a nonprofit that provides lifesaving Vitamin A to children in developing countries all around the world. Join Modere in our goal of giving 10 million children a healthy future.

Learn more and donate today.