Give meat a miss for the night with this delicious, nutrient-rich sweet potato and lentil recipe.

Don’t sweat this recipe will still more than meet your protein requirements thanks to the humble legume, lentils.

The main ingredient; sweet potato is a native root plant in Central and South America and it has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years amongst athletes, mainly due to its lower glycaemic (low GI) response than the traditional white potato. As a slow-releasing carbohydrate, sweet potatoes help raise blood sugar levels that bit more slowly over a period of time.

They are also packed with vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant and one sweet potato will provide 50% of your vitamin C requirements. If that wasn’t enough sweet potatoes are also packed with vitamins B5, B6, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, and minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese and potassium.


Prep time: 10 minutes – cooking time: 35 minutes – serves: 4

Ingredients
2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
700g sweet potatoes, peel and thickly sliced into chunks
2 parsnip, thickly sliced
4 carrot, thickly sliced
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic clove, crushed
300-400g of red or green lentils (canned in water is fine)
2 tbsp curry paste or curry powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
optional – a handful of coriander, roughly chopped

Directions
Firstly heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and stir.

Add the sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots, and increase the heat and cook for 6-8 minutes. Stir occasionally and once the vegetables are golden you are ready to add the curry paste or powder.

Once the paste or powder is added pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and add the cumin, green or red lentils and the coriander if you chose. Stir for 30 seconds before covering and simmering for 15-20 minutes until the stock begins to thicken and the lentils and vegetables are tender.

Have a taste and if the vegetables are cooked to your liking you are ready to enjoy.

Nutrition (per serving): 390 kcal, protein 13g, carbs 55g, fat 6g, saturates 1g, fibre 8g