Clean eating tips in time for the Holidays, plus a recipe for Sweet Potato Rolls

By Kay MacInnis, Registered Dietitian with Providence Health

 

What exactly is clean eating and what does that mean? Here are a few guidelines to help make it easier.

1. Avoid processed foods as much as possible.
2. Limit foods to ingredients you recognize and can pronounce.
3. Avoid foods that have been drastically altered from their natural state.
4. Cook your meals for often than you eat away from home.

The basic eating pattern is about eating more of the best and eating less of the rest. The fundamentals of eating clean involve more whole food on your plate. You will find your plate filled with fruits, veggies, whole grains, less meat. Following a clean eating pattern will decrease intake of sugar and salt. This is not about a diet but really focusing on the best food sources as possible.

Try this recipe….clean eating and just in time for the holiday season.

Sweet Potato Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup reduced-fat milk, warmed to 100°F
• 1 packet active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cups white whole-wheat flour, plus more for kneading
• 1½ teaspoons caraway seeds, divided
• 1½ tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

1. Place sweet potato and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the sweet potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup cooking liquid in a small bowl. Drain and transfer the sweet potato to a food processor. Add oil, vinegar and salt and puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. Combine warmed milk, yeast and sugar in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Add the yeast mixture, flour and 1 teaspoon caraway seeds to the food processor. Pulse until a slightly sticky dough forms. If it is too dry, add the reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, with the motor running, just until the dough forms a ball.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes, sprinkling with more flour if it sticks. Shape into a ball and transfer to a bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
4. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
5. Punch down the dough and divide into 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Brush the rolls with butter and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon caraway seeds and flaky salt. Bake until light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Nutrition Information: 136 calories, 4 g fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 4 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate241 mg sodium

 

Recipe source: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/268755/sweet-potato-rolls/

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This is another in a weekly series of healthy recipes from Kay MacInnis, registered dietitian at Providence Health in Columbia, S.C.

Kay promotes health and wellness, helping cardiac and diabetes patients eat their way to healthier lives. She works in consultation with the trained chefs at Providence, combining her nutrition knowledge with their food prep know-how to create delicious, healthy dishes for patients and the public. She also conducts a number of health and wellness events for the public, including the monthly Providence Cooks! classes.

“She doesn’t just give you the fish, she teaches you how to cook it.”

 – a Kay MacInnis fan and Providence Cooks! regular.