Sweet Potato Jackets with Chunky Guacamole 

Here’s a super simple lunch to nourish or an evening meal to help you sleep well!

I tend to make this when I’ve had a busy day & I want an easy meal. I combine this with a side of coleslaw & a good serving of protein - the protein can be as easy as opening a can of fish & flaking it over, or crumbling over some firm tofu or cooking up a couple of large eggs to top this dish off.

Altogether the complex carbohydrates, good oils & protein make a nourishing filling meal to help see you through the night.
 
Plus this dish is nutritious & teeming with polyphenols (natural plant compounds with anti inflammatory benefits). In this dish there’s plenty of beta-carotene, which is the precursor to Vitamin A. Its important to get plenty of both of these in peri/menopause because they support us in this stressful inflammatory time.

Have a look at my quick 30 second video making this dish here on Youtube and the Guacamole video here. 

Or take a look at my video of making this dish in real time here on my YouTube channel. 

Sweet Potatoes:
2 small sweet potatoes (about 350g each), or one large
½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole:
1 large ripe avocado
1 spring onion, finely chopped
½ long red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped, optional
4 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander, optional 
½ lemon, juiced
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt

Oven set at 200ºC, 180ºC fan forced

Wash and cut the sweet potatoes in half horizontally (no need to peel them).
Rub ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over the cut sides and sprinkle over a good pinch of salt and pepper.
Lay the halves onto a baking tray, cut side up, and put into the oven to bake until soft; About 40-50 minutes depending on their size.

Alternatively put the sweet potatoes, without adding oil, into a microwave and cook until soft in the center. How long this will take depends on the power of your microwave and the size of your sweet potatoes. it usually takes me approx 8 minutes on high. 

De-stone the avocado and using a spoon scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Add the other guacamole ingredients and use a fork smash it up a bit and mix it around.

Once the potato is cooked, put the halves onto the plates, top with the guacamole, and perhaps serve with a side of slaw.

To add some fast protein to this dish I like to open a can of fish and flake it over the sweet potato dish. Alternatively crumble 100g firm tofu per person over the top. Or cook a couple of eggs per person and top the dish with these. 

Did you know sweet potato and avocado are packed with beta-carotene, which is the precursor to Vitamin A, great for skin health, especially during the perimenopause and menopause when skin can be under a lot of stress. 
Learn more about these facts and all about beneficial nourishment during the perimenopause and menopause here on my blog post.