Sweet Potato 'Toast'
Sweet potato toast is such a good low carb alternative to bread. It’s full of good nutrients and definitely won’t clog you up like bread.
Admittedly you don’t get a crunch like toast, but to have a healthy alternative to a cracker or bread is quite life changing.
They can be baked, toasted or air fried. Baking and air frying are definitely more efficient. Just set the timer to turn them and leave them until they’re cooked through.
You can make them sweet or savoury, see topping ideas below.
Delicious!
Sweet Potato ‘Toast’
INGREDIENTS
Chicken + cream cheese - 1/2 garlic clove minced and spread on base (optional, but made it like a bruschetta), raw spinach (we used frozen + put in the oven for speed), cream cheese, sliced chicken and cherry toms. Pate (liver) + cucumber.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees.
Wash and brush the sweet potato, leaving the skin on allows for another texture. Chewy or sometimes crispy.
Slice horizontally or vertically. I did this batch horizontally as you can see, which were great. Vertically is trickier, but you do get a longer slice obviously. The best thing I’ve heard you can do is to score it first.
You’re often left with odd pieces, so I just chop those into chips.
Bake for 25-30 mins, or until soft in the middle with crispy edges (is your ideal). Watch for the smaller ones cooker faster as they can catch slightly on the edges.
Topping Ideas
Sweet or Savoury
BRUNCH
Avocado 1/2 mushed
Bacon 2-3 rashers
Fried Egg
PATE + CUCUMBER
Liver + bacon pate
Cucumber sliced
SPINACH + EGG
Raw or sautéed spinach
Scrambled or fried, or poached egg on top
SALMON + CAPERS
Cream cheese
Smoked Salmon
Cappers
Top with fresh Dill
BANANARAMA
Almond butter
Sliced banana
TAHINI + STRAWBERRIES
Spread Tahini
Add sliced strawberries
YOGURT + SLICED PEAR
Yogurt (df of your choice, or cows)
Slices of pear on top
CACAU + BLUEBERRIES
Yogurt with 1/2 tsp of Cacao powder mixed in
Topped with fresh blueberries
Nutrients
sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are rich in an antioxidant called Beta-Carotene which the body then converts into Vitamin A. It’s also high in potassium which aids muscle strength, metabolism, water balance, electrolytic functions, and the nervous system. Full of amino acids which is vital for growth tissue repair, mood and weight-loss.
Sweet potatoes also have a wide variety of trace B vitamins, great for stress and your mood.
Benefits
sweet potatoes
VITAMIN A supports normal vision, the immune system, reproductive health, growth and development. It also helps your heart, lungs, and other organs work properly. Carotenoids are pigments that give yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables their colour.
DEFICIENCIES: dry eyes, dry skin, night blindness, difficulty in conceiving, delayed growth in children, throat & chest infections, poor wound healing and acne.
D-ASPARTIC ACID is a non-essential amino acid that plays an important role in hormone production and the nervous system. It is said it has a natural ability to increase testosterone production. DAA’s stimulate hormone production and without proper production of hormones our bodies wouldn’t be in balance — or homeostasis. By consuming foods rich in DAA’s you are supporting your hormonal health naturally.
DEFICIENCIES: low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, reduced fertility in men, hair loss, reduction in muscle mass and strength.
POTASSIUM is the third most abundant mineral in the body, roughly 98% is found in your cells. Predominantly it helps the body regulate fluids, send nerve signals and regulate muscle contractions. It acts as an electrolyte regulating nerve and muscle function, hydrating the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help rebuild damaged tissue.
DEFICIENCIES: Constipation, feeling of skipped heart beats or palpitations, fatigue, muscle damage, weakness or spasms, tingling or numbness.
origin + plant family
The sweet potato is often compared to a normal spud, but it’s actually not a potato at all and is from Morning glory (Convolvulaceae) plant family. It was first founded in Central America and in 1492 Christopher Columbus took some back to Europe for harvest.