Easy Sweet Potato Snack

Why I like this:

Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber, beta carotene, potassium, and Vitamin C. Plus, they fill you up! Almonds, with their fiber and protein, also help fill you up. Almonds may help lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. Olive oil is a healthy fat that may reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.

Easy Sweet Potato Snack

Ingredients:

1/2 baked sweet potato

2-3 Tbsp. chopped almonds

1/2 tsp. lemon flavored olive oil or extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

1-2 fresh chives chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried chives

1-2 basil leaves shredded or 1/2 tsp. dried basil

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Scrub the sweet potato and pierce a few times all over with a fork. Place it on the lined baking sheet and bake until tender, approximately 45 minutes. Or, place the pierced sweet potato on a microwave safe plate and microwave at full power for 2 1/2 minutes, rotate, and microwave for another 2 1/2 minutes. If the sweet potato is not fork-tender, continue to microwave in 1 minute increments until it is fork-tender.

2) While the sweet potato cooks, place the chopped almonds in a small frying pan over medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes (shaking the pan a few times) until the almonds turn a darker shade of brown. Watch carefully because the almonds can burn quickly.

3) Let the sweet potato cool a little bit. Cut in half and place one half on a plate (refrigerate the other half to have as a side dish to another meal or as a snack the following day).

4) Drizzle the lemon olive oil over the sweet potato and top with the remaining ingredients.