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Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A, C, B6, potassium, and fiber. They also tend to add a nice, sweet twist to an otherwise savory dish, such as chili, making it burst with flavor. The addition of black beans in the chili recipe below makes a great plant-based protein that helps protect against heart disease, weight gain, diabetes and more. This recipe combines all the benefits in a bowl!

RECIPE: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili with Ground Turkey

YIELD: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small, sweet onion, diced
1 cup corn
1 cup water
1 pound ground turkey
1 (12 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa

Chili seasoning:
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. While this is simmering, heat a separate large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground turkey. Cook and stir until meat is crumbly, evenly browned and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
3. Add in chili seasoning, black beans, corn and salsa to the ground turkey. Add in the sweet potato and onion mixture, stirring until well mixed. Cook until flavors have blended, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm. To top it off, you can slice some avocado, sprinkle some low-fat cheese or add a dollop of low-fat sour cream as a garnish. The only thing left to do then is eat and enjoy!