Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Looking for a recipe that is full of flavor but does not contain any meat? These enchiladas are a great source of protein and fiber, are easy to make, and are budget friendly! Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, which is especially good for your vision. Sweet potaoes also contain fiber which mainly comes from the skin of the potato, so if you would like to leave the skin on in this recipe feel free to do so, it will still be delicious!

Ingredients:

• 10 corn or flour tortillas
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 small can of green chilies
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 cups of salsa verde
• 1 cup of 2% (low fat) shredded mexican cheese
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil (whatever cooking oil you like to use)
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peeled and cubed sweet potatoes on a large non-stick cookie sheet and add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and pinch of salt and toss together with your hands. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping in between.

2. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, add diced bell pepper and onion and 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and saute the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and slightly browned. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the minced garlic with the vegetables.

3. Turn the stove off and next, add the can of green chilies, black beans (rinsed and drained), and chopped cilantro and stir until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Season with 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.

4. Gently fold in the roasted sweet potatoes with the vegetable/bean mixture making sure the sweet potatoes do not get mashed up during the process.

5. Add 1 cup of the salsa verde to the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it out so that the entire bottom of the baking dish is covered with salsa. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the sweet potato/bean mixture, roll it up, and place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with each tortilla until the entire baking dish is filled. Add the remaining 1 cup of salsa verde on top of the tortillas and then top it off with shredded mexican cheese.

6. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Once the enchiladas are finished baking, sprinkle any remaining cilantro you have on top for presentation.  Enjoy!!

Nutrition Myth Buster: Sugar

What Kind Of Sugar Do You Prefer Using?

o   White granulated sugar

o   Agave nectar

o   Honey

o   High fructose corn syrup

o   Maple syrup

o   Natural sugar from fruit and milk

White Granulated Sugar:

Primarily found in baked goods like cakes, cookies, pies, and bread. This type of sugar is the most commonly used sugar, and is most frequently called for in recipes.

Agave Nectar (Syrup):

Most often produced in Mexico. This type of sugar has a high carbohydrate content which results in a high percentage of fructose (approximately 75-90% fructose). Because of its high fructose content, Agave is a lot sweeter than most sugars and therefore you can use less of it. Agave is used by a lot of Vegans because it excludes all animal products.

Honey:

Produced by honey bees. Honey is used to sweeten all kinds of foods and beverages. Honey has approximately 47% fructose.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS):

Also known as “corn sugar.” This type of sugar is composed of the same simple sugars found in table sugar and honey. HFCS is mainly found in sodas and fruit flavored drinks. HFCS has anywhere from 45-55% fructose.

Maple Syrup:

Produced from the sap of maple trees. This type of sugar is most often used on pancakes and waffles.

Natural Sugar:

Fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) both contain natural sugar meaning no sugar is added to these foods, they are produced with sugar already in them.

So Which One Is Better?

The truth is....sugar is sugar!! Once it enters the body, the body cannot tell the difference. Regardless of what kind of sugar you choose to use, you should always use it in moderation because they all have calories and therefore can all contribute to weight gain.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!! J

How Many Calories Do You Need In A Day?

Have you always been wondering how many calories your body needs in a day? Most of us want to know this number in order to lose weight or gain weight. This number is somewhat important, but it really depends on the day. If you are growing, pregnant, breastfeeding, sick, training for a particular sport, or just doing more physical activity in general your body needs more calories on a day-to-day basis. Below are the answers to some common questions asked about calories:

What are calories? Why do we need them?

Calories are what your body uses to produce energy. The body will not function the way it should on a day-to-day basis if you do not give it the proper amount of calories it needs.

How many calories should I eat per day?

The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) Estimated Energy Requirements (EER) is an equation used to tell you the amount of calories your body needs to maintain its current weight. This equation is for healthy adults and it factors in sex, age, weight, height, and physical activity. This equation is on the USDA ChooseMyPlate website so you can insert your own information (age, sex, weight, height, and physical activity level) and it will tell you approximately how many calories your body needs per day. Click on the link below to find out how many calories your body needs:

Calculate Your Calories

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Basic rule of thumb is to subtract 500 calories from the number you received from the ChooseMyPlate website. This allows for a 0.5-1 lb loss per week. If you are planning to subtract greater than 500 calories from your diet ask your doctor before doing so as this can be dangerous.

How do I know how many calories are in my food/drink?

You can look up how many calories your food or drink has on the following websites:

Calorie King

USDA Data Base

New Dietary Guidelines for 2011

Tips to help translate the new dietary guidelines:

1. Enjoy your food, but eat less.
2. Avoid oversized portions.
3. Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
4. Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
5. Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals – and choose the foods with lower numbers.
6. Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Check out the executive summary here: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/ExecSumm.pdf