If you’ve been following me on Instagram for a while this recipe might look familiar. I’ve shared it before as a pumpkin pie smoothie but today I am using sweet potato instead. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A. This smoothie alone will supply you with over 100% of your daily value! The bright colors of sweet potatoes come from antioxidants which are anti-inflammatory and possibly even lower the potential risk of heavy metal exposure.
To spice up this smoothie I’ve added ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, all of which have health benefits. Historically, ginger has been known for easing gastrointestinal distress. Studies show that ginger contains anti-inflammatory compounds which help reduce pain and improve mobility for people with arthritis (when consumed regularly). These same anti-inflammatory compounds (gingerols) may also inhibit the growth of colorectal and ovarian cancer cells.
Cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets and contains anti-microbial properties. For people with type 2 diabetes, it can improve their ability to respond to insulin and also slows the rate at which the stomach empties after a meal which reduces the rise in blood sugar after eating.
Nutmeg is known for almost too many health benefits to list (from pain relief to fighting bad breath) but what I find the most interesting is that the inside of the seed kind of looks like a brain and it is beneficial to brain health!
Feel free to add in nut butters or seeds like flax or chia to make this smoothie a little more filling. As a matter of fact, adding 3-5 grams of fat to your meal of sweet potatoes significantly increases the absorption of beta-carotene (precursor form of vitamin A). Most likely the nut/plant milk used will contain at least 3 grams of fat.
sweet potato smoothie
serves 1
ingredients
3/4 cup *cooked sweet potato, chilled (1 small sweet potato)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other plant milk of choice)
3 pitted medjool dates
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
directions
blend all ingredients in blender until smooth and enjoy!
*to cook sweet potato, slice into ½ inch rounds and steam for 7-10 minutes or until soft when stabbed with fork. lightly mash with fork and chill completely. (mommas with babies, you can make a large batch and use the extra for baby food)
