Want to help your clients live longer and with more healthier years? Then make sure their diets contain plenty of fiber, like what’s in the oat sweet potato chili below. A newly released large review study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition involving 351,282 subjects from 64 eligible studies, found that higher consumption of total dietary fiber slashed the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease-related mortality, and cancer-related mortality by 23, 26 and 22%. There are likely plenty of mechanisms for why a high-fiber diet is important for longevity, such as improving cholesterol numbers, reducing inflammation, benefiting the microbiome and increasing the nutrient density of a diet. Beans and oats are well-endowed with fiber giving this bowl of chili the power to bestow various health benefits.
Oat Sweet Potato Chili
3/4 C steel-cut oats
2 t oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 t salt
2 T tomato paste
2 t dried oregano
1 t chili powder
1 (29 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 (14 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 C cubed sweet potato
1 1/2 C frozen corn
Juice of 1 lime
Cover oats with warm water and soak for at least 2 hours. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook until onion is softened and darkened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, oregano and chili powder; heat 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, kidney beans, sweet potato and drained oats. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for 30 minutes, until oats and potato are tender. Stir in corn and heat 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice. Makes 4 Servings.
See also: Recipe: Sweet-Potato Yogurt Bowl
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD
Matthew Kadey, MS, RD, is a James Beard Award–winning food journalist, dietitian and author of the cookbook Rocket Fuel: Power-Packed Food for Sport + Adventure (VeloPress 2016). He has written for dozens of magazines, including Runner’s World, Men’s Health, Shape, Men’s Fitness and Muscle and Fitness.
