Hello and long time no see! If you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen my news, but if not then…I’m pregnant! And I’m due in June! Unfortunately my blog/Instagram/practice fell to the wayside during the first few months (pregnancy nausea and exhaustion is no joke!) but I’m back and ready to bring you more gut health facts, tips and recipes!
First up: High Fiber Sweet Potato Stew
This stew was made from scratch with basic items I keep in my pantry and fridge. Each serving has at about 7 grams of fiber, which is almost a third of your daily fiber intake. This recipe was made with the intent for general gut health, not for someone in the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet. I’d also recommend avoiding if you suffer from Gastroparesis or GERD, as the high fiber and spice may aggravate your symptoms.
So why is a high fiber diet important for general gut health? Fiber helps move things along in your digestive tract (meaning it helps avoid constipation) and can also provide bulk to your stool, which avoids diarrhea. Prebiotic fibers in particular help feed the “good” bacteria in your gut. The more friendly gut bacteria you have, the less gut inflammation you may experience. Fiber also helps to keep you feeling full until your next meal and slows spikes in blood sugar.
The prebiotic fibers in this recipe come from garlic and onion, but the bulk of the fiber content is from the quinoa, sweet potatoes, chick peas and canned tomatoes. Just an FYI: this recipe has a LOT of spice. If you aren’t a fan, I’d omit the cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Read on for the full recipe and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments!
High Fiber Sweet Potato Quinoa Stew
Serving size: 1 cup
Servings per recipe: 12
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1/2 one large white onion, diced into 1/4in pieces
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1 tbsp + 1 tsp minced garlic
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1 cup dry quinoa
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4 cups water
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2 cans Trader Joe Diced & Fire Roasted Organic Canned Tomatoes
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2 cans chickpeas
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3 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 1-2inch pieces
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3/4 jar Trader Joe’s mild salsa
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1 tbsp dried rosemary
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1 tbsp dried oregano
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2 tsp cayenne pepper
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3 tsp smoked paprika
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3 tsp Trader Joe’s Jalapeno Pepper hot sauce
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salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
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Using a large cast iron dutch oven, add olive oil and turn stovetop heat to medium.
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Add garlic and onion, cook until light brown.
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Add sweet potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, canned tomatoes, water and quinoa, stirring well.
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Add salsa and all seasonings, continuing to stir well.
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Turn stovetop to low heat and let cook for two hours, stirring occasionally.
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If you want a thinner consistency, consider adding an additional 1-2 cups of water.
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Keeps in fridge for up to a week.