Cost Breakdown

Recipe Making Process

1. We started by preheating the oven to 425 degrees before gathering and prepping our ingredients. This included chopping the sweet potatoes (seen below) into uniform cubes. Taking just five minutes to prepare your ingredients allows for a quick and easy cooking process.

2. Once our sweet potatoes were nicely cut, we combined salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a small bowl. This part is fully customizable, as you can use any seasonings of your choice!

3. Combine your spices, sweet potatoes, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl and toss together until the sweet potatoes are evenly coated.

3. The sweet potatoes are cooked using roasting, a simple yet effective technique where food is cooked by dry heat in an oven. The key to perfectly roasted vegetables is a high temperature (425°F for this recipe), using a small amount of oil to prevent sticking and help with browning, and not overcrowding the pan. Giving them space allows the heat to circulate, which results in those delicious crispy edges you see!

5. While the sweet potatoes are roasting for 25-35 minutes, this is where your knife skills come in handy for preparing the fresh toppings, like the cilantro and avocado. You can also portion the cheese.

6. As the sweet potatoes continue to roast, it is time to move to the stovetop to sauté the ground beef. You will then season to taste with taco seasoning!

7. Drain any excess grease and dispose of it in the trash can. Grease should never be poured down the sink drain!

8. Once the sweet potatoes are roasted (soft on the inside and slightly caramelized on the edges) and the beef is cooked, all that is left to do is assemble the toppings. Don’t forget your cottage cheese for that delicious added protein!

9. When serving this dish, it tastes best when the beef and sweet potatoes are served warm! We like to place the cottage cheese on top of the beef and potatoes, then top it with our avocado slices and chopped cilantro!

I wouldn’t make any major changes to this recipe, because I love that it can be easily customized to your liking. You can swap which meat is being used, make it more/less spicy, and even add more veggies like roasted bell peppers or broccoli!

Sweet Potato Protein Bowl

Author: NDFS-1240-001 Wednesday Group 3 Cooking Method:Roasting Sautéing Cuisine:Modern American Courses:Dinner Lunch Lunch, Dinner

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 15 minutesCook time: 35 minutesRest time: 10 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesCooking Temp:425 FServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:3.02 $ per servingCalories:500 kcal Best Season:Winter, Fall, Available

Description

This meal by the Balanced Nutritionist provides a fantastic source of protein (from the beef and cottage cheese) to keep you full, complex carbohydrates (from the sweet potato) for sustained energy, and healthy fats (from the avocado). It’s a true all-in-one meal perfect for a busy student.

Ingredients

• Ground Beef 1lb
• Sweet Potato 2 medium
• Cottage Cheese 1 cup
• Avocado 1 small
• Cucumber 1
• Cherry Tomato (Optional) 1 cup
• Spinach (Optional) 1 cup
• Olive Oil 1 Tbsp
• Chili Powder (Substituted with Taco Seasoning) 1 tsp
• Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp
• Paprika
  (Substituted with Taco Seasoning) 1/2 tsp
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Pepper 1/4 tsp

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425
2. Prepare the vegetables, chop the sweet potatoes. Slice the avocado and roughly chop the cilantro.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the diced sweet potatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika.
4. Spread the seasoned sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes until tender and caramelized.
5. While potatoes roast, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and taco seasoning. Sauté until the meat is fully browned and broken apart (7-10 minutes).
6. Assemble: Divide the cottage cheese (1/2 cup per bowl), cooked beef, and roasted sweet potatoes into 4 bowls. Top each serving with the sliced avocado and chopped cilantro.

Keywords:easy, Eating in college, nutritious, protein, Quick

The Ingredients:

This recipe is simple to make with ingredients you have at home. With each ingredient able to be adjusted for personal preference and budget, this recipe allows flexibility for nutrition and price. To follow the recipe, use coconut flour, protein powder, peanut butter, maple syrup, dark chocolate chocolate chips, and coconut oil.

Substitution Ideas:

• Honey or agave can replace maple syrup, for personal preference.
• Different nut butters can replace peanut butter for allergies or preference. Seed butters, like sunflower seed butter, are a good substitute for those allergic to nuts.
• Chocolate chips can be milk, dark, or white chocolate.
• Most protein powders can be used for price flexibility, different flavor profiles, and personal preference.
  

Additional Protein Powder Notes:

Casein, brown rice, or paleo protein powder is preferred. Whey protein is not recommended, as the texture can be incredibly sticky and won’t form the bars well.
If your batter is too thick/crumbly, add water or milk until a firm batter remains.

We chose PB2 as our protein powder. Regular PB2 is a powdered peanut butter that you add water to to reconstitute. If you would like to use the protein, make sure you get the “Peanut Protein” version. We like this protein powder because it is protein derived from peanuts and brown rice, it provides 20 grams of protein per serving, and it uses monk fruit extract as a sweetener for a great no calorie natural sugar alternative.

Directions:

1. Line a deep pan with parchment paper and set aside. For thicker bars, use an 8 x 8-inch pan. For thinner bars, use any size bigger.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, melt your peanut butter with sticky sweetener until combined.
4. Add to dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.
5. Transfer protein bar batter into the lined baking dish and press firmly in place. Refrigerate or freeze until firm.
6. Once firm, cut into bars and cover in optional dark chocolate and enjoy!

Chocolate (optional):

Let’s be honest – the only thing that would make these simple protein bars better is a smooth, dark chocolate top. When applying, you can cover the top while still in the pan, or slice and remove to dip fully. The more, the better, right? Melt your chocolate chips with a spoonful of coconut oil for a smoother finish, and place back in the freezer for a final set.

Nutrition, storage, and more:

When cut into 12 different bars, each bar contains approximately 20g protein. For peanut butter lovers this is it! The PB2 used creates a smooth consistency that makes your mouth water. The dark chocolate on top creates a dessert-feeling snack that is healthy and helps you achieve your goals. Protein helps build and repair muscle in the body, provides energy, and keeps you healthy. These are better cold so throw them in the freezer or fridge depending on your needs. If you need a snack in an hour or two but don’t have time to go home, you can take one out of the freezer and it will thaw by the time you want to eat. If you want one as your heading to class take one out of the fridge and eat it on your way!

Nutrition:

Serving: 1 Bar
Calories: 150kcal
Carbohydrates: 5g
Protein: 20g
Fat: 7g
Sodium: 109mg
Potassium: 150mg
Fiber: 3g
Vitamin A: 9IU
Calcium: 20mg
Iron: 1mg

References:

thebigmansworld.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-protein-bars-keto-sugar-free-vegan/