Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl: Healthy and Simple Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Protein Powder

A Healthy Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl is perfect when the air turns crisp and for anytime your skin needs to glow. The creamy mashed sweet potatoes paired with mixed berries, make for a crazy nutritious breakfast that is easy to make your own and fantastic for meal prepping! Let’s dive into this easy recipe and explore how you can get all the amazing health benefits of sweet potatoes with a scoop of protein to keep you satisfied for hours.

Having low-sugar mashed sweet potatoes for breakfast can help balance your body and brighten the skin after all the super sugary treats and excess junk food the seasonal parties and festivities bring. Move over oatmeal, make room for this incredibly healthy sweet potato breakfast bowl.

Quick Macros Note: One serving is only 350 calories with 27g of protein and 9 grams of fiber. Even if you want 2 servings, you’ll only be taking in 700 calories of guilt free goodness, with 54g of protein, 18g of fiber which is less calories than most of the fast food breakfast meals. In addition to the low calorie breakfast, the high protein will help keep you full for hours, with each bite nourishing the skin, balancing blood sugar, assisting in lowering the bad cholesterol and gives you nutrient dense energy to fuel you for the day ahead.

Why You’ll Love Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes:

• Meal Prep Friendly: Make a big batch to enjoy throughout the week (Your Tomorrow Self Thanks You)!
• Macro Friendly: Its already balanced for you with the perfect amount of protein, healthy fats and carbs.
• Nutritious: Move over oatmeal, sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals to keep you energized.
• Versatile: Perfect as a well rounded breakfast bowl where you can mix and match for your favorite toppings.
• Low in Sugar: Without all the added sweeteners, you won’t spike your blood sugar creating unwanted problems associated with blood sugar spikes (dull skin, crabby mood, energy drops, weight gain and issues with diabetes).

Why Meal Prepping a Healthy Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl is a MUST:

Unless you have a leftover baked sweet potato, boiling and mashing is the best option. However, if you boil and mash 100g of sweet potato (which a single serving size portion), it can be difficult to get a smooth consistency. So, for this recipe, mashing a higher volume of sweet potatoes, is actually easier. Below you will find the directions to cook a single serving, 2 servings and 4 servings in the recipe card at the bottom.

Jump to 4 serving Meal Prep

If you would like ONLY 1 serving:

Use a leftover sweet potato, or use steamed sweet potatoes. In place of the boil and mash ’em step: Simply cube sweet potatoes, steam in steam pot or steam in microwave (large microwave safe bowl + 2-4 Tablespoons of water + cover with plastic wrap to create steam bowl and cook until tender about 5 min)

Ingredient Notes For 2 servings

• 200g sweet potatoes (about 2 large sweet potatoes or yams): When weighing at the s grocery store, note if you plan to peel them before cooking.
• 1/4 reserved potato water: This is used to help thin the potato down, which helps after adding the protein powder and other ingredients. Feel free to swap or substitute with plain water, almond milk or milk of choice for a creamier potato, though it will change the macros is you are counting. It also works well with fresh apple juice.
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or other extracts: butter extract is wonderful, a drop of almond, rum or caramel extract would be nice, careful not to add to many or overspill or it will over power the dish. (I know this from experience and it feels like a punch to the tongue).
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional): add any seasonings you would like. Try just pinch of either nutmeg, cardamom, all spice, apple pie seasoning or pumpkin pie seasoning.
• 4 servings of Vanilla Protein Powder: Swap or substitute with another flavor of choice, any caramel, pumpkin pie or fall flavored protein powder works well. Just be sure to pick a flavor and brand you enjoy as it is used as a flavor enhancer as much as it is used to boost the protein, and provide nutritional benefits.
• 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Mashed sweet Potatoes Toppings:

• Almond Butter: swap with nut butter, or seed butter of choice. Coconut butter or even edible cocoa butter.
• Hulled Hemp Seeds or other Nuts or Seeds like Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Pecans etc.
• Cacao nibs or mini dark chocolate chips
• Berries
• Bananas which is easily swapped with pineapple or mango
• *Optional Sweetener of choice, 1 tsp sugar free option like monk fruit syrup, stevia or a natural sweetener that counts as a sugar but has nutritional benefits like pure maple syrup or raw local honey (this will had 60 calories per tsp.)

Step-by-Step Instruction and Notes:

1. Prepare the Sweet Potatoes: Firstly, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. This will help them cook faster and evenly.
2. Boil: Place the sweet potato cubes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork. -Steam or Bake if preferred.-
3. Drain and Mash: Drain the sweet potatoes and return them to the pot. Add in greek yogurt mash until smooth. A potato masher or hand mixer works well to create a smooth, consistent creamy texture. If you have time and like them extra fluffy, after hand mashing, use the hand mixer to whip until light and fluffy.
4. Season: Stir in cinnamon (if using), and a pinch of other seasonings to taste. Adjust the consistency with more water or splash of almond milk if desired.
5. Portion for Meal Prep: Finally, Allow the mashed sweet potatoes to cool slightly before dividing them into individual or family-sized portions in airtight containers. Add toppings to make grabbing and going faster.
6. Store: Refrigerate for up to 5 days. I’ve never tried freezing this recipe, but generally it would in theory freeze in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months, however, I’ve not tried this and cannot vouch for it’s taste, quality or the post-freeze consistency.
7. Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy, simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a splash of milk if needed for creaminess.

Tips for the Perfect Meal Prep Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• Add Flavor: Pinch of nutmeg, cloves or cardamon is excellent for a classic fall twist. Aside from seasonings, try enhancing your mashed sweet potatoes with add-ins like, maple extract, rum extract, almond extract. Butter extract is surprisingly delicious.
• Mix and Match: Pair with different flavored protein powders (try caramel, toffee, snickerdoodle, pumpkin pie, apple pie etc.) It is even good with 1-2 tsp of sugar free pudding mix.. (shh… its a secret and the sugar-free butterscotch, vanilla are so yummy, especially if you have a plain or bland protein powder).
• Quick Fix: For a speedy breakfast, serve cold and use frozen berries. Try the microwave for a quick thaw. Don’t worry, you’ll still say “Yum”. If you read the post on Macro Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries, then you know that fresh and frozen have the same health benefits, according to the research.

Sweet Potato Health Benefits

As a Personal Trainer, I have to give you a list of why this is good for you. It’s all backed by science and I’ve listed the resources incase you would like to know more. Let’s discuss why sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritional foods ever:

Glowing Skin:

Sweet potatoes (also the mixed berries included in your meal) provide insane benefits for skin health. Their rich antioxidant content, vitamins, and anti-inflammatory properties contribute to a beautiful and radiant complexion, reduced signs of aging, and perk up dull looking skin.

Rich in Nutrients & What They Do:

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins as well as potassium and fiber, here are some other nutrients:

• High in Beta-Carotene: Sweet potatoes are packed with beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. This particular antioxidant helps protect the skin from UV damage and promotes skin cell turnover; which then leads to a healthier complexion. Research shows that increased intake of beta-carotene can improve skin tone and provide a protective effect against sun damage (Cohen et al., 2016).

• Rich in Vitamin C: Did you know that Sweet potatoes have loads of vitamin C. Thats okay if you didn’t, most people don’t know. Vitamin C is huge in skin health because it is essential for collagen synthesis. Collagen is a protein that helps maintain skin elasticity and firmness. Studies indicate that vitamin C can reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture (Pullar et al., 2017).
• Antioxidant Properties: They are high in antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The antioxidants in sweet potatoes (also those in the mixed berries from this breakfast) help combat inflammation, which is linked to various skin conditions, including acne and eczema. By reducing inflammation, sweet potatoes can contribute to clearer and healthier skin (Nijsten et al., 2007).
• Supports Digestive Health: The fiber in sweet potatoes promotes a healthy gut and aids digestion.
• Blood Sugar Regulation: Despite their sweetness, they have a low glycemic index, making them a smart choice for blood sugar control.

For The Health Benefits on Fresh or Frozen Berries, read this Post: Macro Friendly Greek Yogurt with Mixed Berries

Happy Meal Prepping!

References

• Cohen, A. R., et al. (2016). “Beta-Carotene: A Review of Its Impact on Skin Health.” Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
• Harrison, S. M., et al. (2017). “The Role of Antioxidants in Skin Health.” Dermatologic Therapy.
• Hunt, M. E., et al. (2015). “Berries and Skin Health: A Review.” Nutrients.
• Kleiner, S. M. (2010). “Water: An Essential Nutrient for Health.” Nutrition Today.
• Nijsten, T., et al. (2007). “Inflammation and Skin Conditions.” Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
• Pullar, J. M., et al. (2017). “Vitamin C: A Review of Its Role in Skin Health.” Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

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Creamy mashed sweet potatoes are not just a delicious side dish at thanksgiving; they’re a breakfast meal prep superstar! By making a full serving batch, or even bigger to feed the family, you can enjoy this nutritious dish all week long. Share your meal prep creations on Pinterest and tag us—we can’t wait to see how you make this recipe your own!