Tag Archives: healthy carbs

Five Healthy Sweet Potato Side Dish Recipes for Thanksgiving and Beyond

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Sweet potatoes are a kitchen superstar and especially popular around Thanksgiving and the fall season Sweet Potatoes are versatile, nutrient-dense, and naturally delicious – the perfect side dish for active living that will keep you going! Whether you’re looking for something savory, sweet, or a little bit of both, I have you covered with plenty of creative and healthy sweet potato side dish ideas. Here are five of my favorites to complement your next meal:

1. Sweet Potato Grits

Sweet Potato Grits combine the creamy comfort of traditional grits with the subtle sweetness and earthy richness of sweet potatoes. This dish is a fantastic side for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, pairing beautifully with eggs, greens, or your favorite protein — it also makes a fantastic savory alternative to that traditional overly sweet Thanksgiving sweet potato recipe with marshmallows!

2. Mashed Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions takes a savory approach to this classic side dish. The aromatic rosemary and deeply flavorful caramelized onions make this a standout choice for holiday gatherings or as a sophisticated accompaniment to roasted meats. I loved this mashed sweet potato recipe.

3. Granola Honey Sweet Potato Fries

Let cool a couple minutes. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with honey, toss gently. Sprinkle with granola!

For a fun and slightly sweet side, try Granola Honey Sweet Potato Fries. These fries are baked to crispy perfection and topped with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of crunchy granola. They’re great for snacking or as a side for burgers or grilled chicken.  These are adapted from a recipe I developed for my Cooking For One for Dummies cookbook (page 215)

4. Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro Chimichurri

Vegan Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro Chimichurri brings bold, smoky flavors to the table. This creamy vegan soup is balanced with the fresh, zesty punch of cilantro chimichurri, making it a perfect choice for a warming side or light meal.

5. Purple Sweet Potato Salad with Figs, Pomegranate & Balsamic Syrup

Purple Sweet Potato Salad with Figs, Pomegranate and Balsamic Syrup.

Turn heads at the table with Purple Sweet Potato Salad with Figs, Pomegranate & Balsamic Syrup. This vibrant and visually stunning dish combines the earthy flavors of purple sweet potatoes with the sweetness of figs, tart pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of balsamic syrup. It’s a perfect side for festive meals or special occasions.

These sweet potato side dishes showcase the versatility of this humble root vegetable, with options ranging from comforting to elegant. Which one will you try first? Let me know in the comments or tag @TheFitFork on Instagram with your recreations!

Granola Honey Sweet Potato Fries

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Granola Honey Sweet Potato Fries! Pre-race carb loading (or every day munching) at it’s finest – all the good stuff, so easy! Based on a single-serve recipe on page 215 my Cooking for One for Dummies cookbook that can be ordered now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your other fine book retailer online or in person.

Looking for a quick and easy granola sweet potato recipe? Simple ingredients come together in minutes in an air fryer (or conventional oven) to make the tastiest, crunchiest, salty-sweet (swalty) fries around!! You’ll love recipe for one (or two)!

Baked or air-fryer sweet potato fries are one of my go-to side dishes the night before a big workout or race. Those healthy carbs from the sweet potato and honey give me energy and the prep method doesn’t make me feel heavy and gross with added oils I don’t need.

Looking for a quick and easy granola sweet potato recipe? Simple ingredients come together in minutes in an air fryer (or conventional oven) to make the tastiest, crunchiest, salty-sweet (swalty) fries around!! You’ll love recipe for one (or two)!
Ridiculously simple ingredients: sweet potato, olive oil, honey, salt, and granola!

I was inspired to add honey and coarse sea salt to my fries after eating a similar dish at a steak house years ago before a 50 miles race!!! So yummy, and I know helped me make it through many of those miles in the first half.

Looking for a quick and easy granola sweet potato recipe? Simple ingredients come together in minutes in an air fryer (or conventional oven) to make the tastiest, crunchiest, salty-sweet (swalty) fries around!! You’ll love recipe for one (or two)!
Pin this for later!

Adding granola was just an “ah-ha” moment, when I was curious about adding a little extra texture and crunch. A box of salty-sweet granola made with oats, ancient grains, pecans and cinnamon was sitting out, so I sprinkled some on and it was like magic. You can use any granola you want, I just happed to have THIS ONE on hand.

Looking for a quick and easy granola sweet potato recipe? Simple ingredients come together in minutes in an air fryer (or conventional oven) to make the tastiest, crunchiest, salty-sweet (swalty) fries around!! You’ll love recipe for one (or two)!

BTW, I used a Crinkle Cut Potato Tool, but you can also just use a knife!

Sometimes I’m the only one in the family who wants a sweet potato for one, so I came up with this single-serve sweet potato fry recipe.  With 368 Calories, 11g fat, 64g carb, 8g fiber, 5g protein, it’s pretty generous sized and can be split with a friend if not as hungry as I usually am!!

Looking for more impressive yet easy sweet potato recipes? Try my Mashed Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions! Delicious!

Mashed Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
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Let cool a couple minutes. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with honey, toss gently. Sprinkle with granola!
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Granola Honey Sweet Potato Fries for Air Fryer (or Oven)
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
17 mins
 

Looking for a quick and easy granola sweet potato recipe? Simple ingredients come together in minutes in an air fryer (or conventional oven) tomake the tastiest, crunchiest, salty-sweet (swalty) fries around!! You’ll love recipe for one (or two)!

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Keyword: granola, honey, sweet potato
Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 10 ounce sweet potato approx
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon Himalayan Sea salt
  • 2 tablespoon salty-sweet granola of choice
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F or Air fryer to 360F.

  2. Wash, dry and cut sweet potato into 1/3” thick fry-sized pieces. Place wedges in pile on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil; toss to coat. Spread out in even layer on pan or transfer to Air fryer basket.

  3. Bake for 25 min in oven or 12 min in air fryer, flipping half way. Will be done when turning crispy brown around edges and soft in center.

  4. Let cool a couple minutes. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with honey, toss gently. Sprinkle with granola!

Recipe Notes

Date & Protein Chocolate Cookies – For Workouts, For the Win!

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This post sponsored my Bard Valley Natural Delight Dates. However, all content, opinions and enthusiasm are my own!

Growing up, Dad had a joke in our house that cookies eaten outside of normal dessert consumption hours were called “Breakfast Circles,” or “Energy Rounds.”  This soon became my line of defense when Mom caught me with my hand in the cookie jar. Thank goodness, my Date & Protein Chocolate Cookies need no explaining away! Date Chocolate Protein Cookies

These little rounds of goodness are loaded with quality and sustaining energy my family needs to smash through the day’s goals – both physically and mentally. My youngest teenager and I are the athletes of the family and my older two boys are the “math-letes” – bodies and brains BOTH need healthy carbs (backed by a bit of protein) to optimize performance. My cookies, made with absolutely no refined sugar (only Medjool dates and a few other smart ingredients), make the perfect snack to fuel running, workouts, sports practice, and racing to the head of the class! Read on to get the recipe and all the delicious, body-boosting benefits: Continue reading →

Why Athletes Should Eat Carrots + Fit, Fast Recipes

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Trendy vegetables come and go, but carrots are a perennially popular pick in the produce department! I’m a non-discriminating vegetable lover and would never suggest kicking kale to the curb or saying bye-bye to beets, but these veggies, among other others, have enjoyed more than their fair share of time in the proverbial sun and now seem to be wilting away. But, let’s not forget about the tried-and-true carrot! Why Athletes Should Care about Carrots -- Health benefits that improve performance, recover and overall well being plus some easy, nutritious recipes using carrots.

All ages and all stages love carrots. Babies spoon up pureed carrots, kids munch on crunchy carrot sticks, and even finickiest of foodies can find a gourmet carrot recipe to delight.  Thanks to a host of health benefits and an easy-to-pack profile, this enduring edible also makes the perfect superfood for all types of athletes including runners, triathletes, football players, CrossFitters and other sporty types.  Plus, carrots are filling but are low in calories, with only about 50 calories for a cup of carrot slices or 5-ounces of baby carrots. If still questioning how carrots can help your athletic performance and need some great carrot recipes, read on:

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