Sometimes you just need comfort food. My version of comfort food used to be a pint of ice cream and whatever baked good I could find, multiplied by two or three. While it was enjoyable in the moment, it sure left my soul feeling empty and craving more. Do you struggle with emotional eating? If so, you’re not alone. Eating our feelings, trying to numb them, is a daily struggle for so many people. For some it’s emotional eating, for others it’s alcohol or anything that’s used to attempt to fill up some broken and empty place inside. I’m not saying this Beef and Sweet Potato Bowl is the cure, but it can certainly play a part in the healing process!
As a blogger, I want to write posts that are positive and fun and uplifting and funny! But, we’re all living real life here and sometimes real life is not all those things. I want to be real. The past two months have been extremely challenging for me. My relationship with someone I love very much ended, my car was totaled and I have to buy a new one and I hit a financial low. All things that are super-stressful, super-painful and make me want to dive headfirst into a pint or two of Ben and Jerry’s! I did dive into one pint, but instead of diving in to the second one, I decided to step back for a second and love myself.
We have that choice to make. We can “feed” our emotions, which I’ve done for most of my life, or we can stop and make a conscious choice to love ourselves through that painful moment. I decided to make a different choice this time. I promise you the choice to love yourself through it is not always easy, but it is always empowering when you choose that path.
I think one of the most important ways to love yourself is to feed yourself beautiful, nutritious food. Make something that tastes good, looks amazing and is warm and makes your insides feel cozy. Doing this is a beautiful expression of self-love, and it’s something that affects your body in a positive way and makes you feel good. Good, because you’re loving yourself and good because you’re actually giving your body something it needs and can use!
That’s what I love about this Beef and Sweet Potato Bowl. First off, it looks like fall in a bowl!! The colors are stunning, like they just fell off of a tree in the Hudson Valley in New York! Secondly, it’s packed with greens, veggies, protein and healthy fats, so you’re fueling your body with what it needs to function and heal. I think good, healthy food heals the heart as well as the body. An finally, it’s a warm, cozy fall dish.
The other thing I love about this Beef and Sweet Potato Bowl is that it’s made with what I call “Building Blocks.” The leftover beef mixture and sweet potatoes can be re-purposed for other meals. One of my favorite re-purposed meals is a breakfast hash. I reheat the beef and sweet potatoes, mix them together and top them with a fried egg. The perfect protein-packed breakfast!
Ready to love yourself??
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Courtney
Serves 4
Looks like fall in a bowl! Cooking for one or two? Use the "building blocks" of this recipe for other meals. Reheat the beef and sweet potatoes and top with a fried egg for a protein-packed breakfast hash.
10 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 16 ounces of mini heirloom or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 cup of baby spinach, packed
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I leave the skin on)
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 16 ounce bag of arugula
- 1/4 cup of pomegranate seeds
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 pound of ground beef (grass-fed preferred)
- 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder (chili powder works fine too)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Toss the sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ancho chili powder and salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread in a single layer on the cookie sheet and cook for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for about seven minutes.
- Add the ground beef and break it up with a spatula. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 15-20 minutes until done.
- Stir the spinach into the beef during the last two minutes of cooking.
- While the beef and potatoes finish cooking, toss the arugula with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, divide the arugula into four bowls.
- Divide the beef mixture and sweet potatoes on top of the arugula.
- Garnish each bowl with pomegranate seeds and avocado slices. Enjoy!
Show yourself some love with this Beef and Sweet Potato Bowl! Remember, if emotional eating is a struggle for you, make one different choice at a time. You’ll feel empowered in that moment and it will help you feel stronger in the next one. It’s when you begin making different choices that you experience personal growth!
How do you show yourself love? Leave a comment below and share something that works for you!
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