Lunch Recipe: Rip's Sweet Potato Bowl

How sweet it is ... to have tasty, healthy food to eat! After roughing it from a cooler for a few days for my work trip, I thought I would treat myself to one of the lunch recipes outlined in my Whole Foods-sponsored Engine 2 28-day challenge (they're starting another round of challenges in March, folks!). I'm on day 11 of the challenge, and going strong. Here's a little background on it:

Rip Esselstyn is the man behind the Engine 2 challenge and is a Healthy Eating Partner with Whole Foods. Whole Foods is working to position itself as America's Healthiest Grocery Store, and Engine 2 is one initiative they are doing to demonstrate that commitment. Rip is the son of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn who did a 20 year study of patients with heart disease who switched to a plant-based diet (also the guy whose research convinced Bill Clinton to switch to a plant-based diet.) The results: all of the patients stopped the progression of their disease and 70% reversed it. Don't take my word for it. You can watch the documentary, Forks over Knives (available on netflix streaming), or read some of the research.

Whether you're ready to go to a plant-based diet or not, treat yourself to an Engine 2 Rip's Sweet Potato Bowl for lunch because it tastes good!

Rip's Sweet Potato Bowl

1 baked sweet potato
1/2 green or red bell pepper
1/2 mango
1/2 c black beans
cilantro
lime juice

Rip's recipe also includes:
1/2 avocado
balsamic vinegar to taste

Bake the sweet potato the night before at 350 degrees for about an hour (depends on the size, but you want to be able to stick your fork through easily.) Since I bought an organic sweet potato I just chopped it up into cubes straight from the oven (conventional are treated with dye or wax and should be peeled.)

Rinse a can of black beans and add half a cup to your bowl of sweet potato. It's your choice if you add the bell pepper now (remember you may want to reheat the potatoes and beans for lunch if you're prepping this the night before.) Top with mango slices (fresh or frozen), cilantro and lime. Enjoy!