Sweet Potato Breakfast Boats
- itsjdieb
- May 26
- 6 min read
Welcome to Day 1 of my 5-day Blue Zone Breakfast series! Each day this week, I’m sharing a nourishing breakfast inspired by one of the five Blue Zones—regions in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives: Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Loma Linda (California), Ikaria (Greece), and the Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica).
While each place has its own culinary traditions, they all share a few key principles: wholesome, plant-forward meals, strong community ties, daily movement, and a deep sense of purpose. These breakfasts aren’t meant to be exact replicas but rather modern, nutrient-rich takes using high-quality ingredients that reflect the spirit of each region.I wanted to use ingredients that each region is known for and create easy, approachable breakfast recipes you can learn to incorporate into your daily routine.
My goal is to show you that it is possible to eat in a way that supports long-term health, without overcomplicating it. These recipes are inspired by the traditions of the world’s longest-living communities—but they’re designed for real life, using simple, nutrient-rich ingredients you can find almost anywhere.
Each day of this series spotlights one of the five Blue Zones and gives you a fresh take on how breakfast can be both deeply nourishing and genuinely enjoyable. Whether you’re here for gut health, longevity, or just a more grounded start to your day—I hope you find a recipe (or five) to love.
Besides focusing on the nutrition, let's figure out what studies have shown about why people are supposedly living longer than in these regions. Studies have identified several common lifestyle factors in blue zones that may contribute to their peoples' longevity:
Plant-based diet: most of the regions share a commonality, their people are mostly plant-based eaters or at least focus on eating a diet filled with plants, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains.
Physical activity: regular movement is integrated into their daily routines, making physical activity feel stress free and not forced. People are walking, gardening, and even dancing.
Social connections: In these regions you'll find people have stronger social networks or a sense of community. People eat together, laugh together, trust one another.
Purpose in life: It's been mentioned that people in these regions have a sense of purpose and fulfillment in their work, hobbies, or volunteer activities.
Today’s recipe is inspired by Okinawa, Japan, where sweet potatoes are a staple and elders often live past 100 with incredible energy. Meet my Sweet Potato Breakfast Boats. Forget the bread—we're using sweet potatoes. Sweet potato, green onion, spinach, and soy sauce are all ingredients commonly enjoyed in Japanese breakfasts, so I created this simple, nourishing recipe that feels both grounding and energizing. It’s easy enough to throw together while you’re getting ready for work, but also perfect for a slow weekend brunch. Yes, the sweet potato needs about 40 minutes in the oven—but if you’re smart, you’ll wake up, toss it in to bake, and let it cook while you get dressed or sip your morning coffee.
According to the Blue Zones website: "It turns out that it’s whole plant foods, not fish, that make up 90 percent of the traditional Okinawan diet: Less than 1 percent of the diet was fish; less than 1 percent was meat; and less than 1 percent was dairy and eggs. Most of the diet was based on vegetables and beans, with the most calories coming from purple and orange sweet potatoes. It’s not only a highly anti-inflammatory diet but also a highly antioxidant one."
What caught my eye about the Okinawan lifestyle were a few beautiful concepts: embracing ikigai, the sense of purpose that gets you out of bed each morning; a love for gardening and staying active; a mostly plant-based diet rooted in whole, nourishing foods; and the practice of moai—a strong sense of community and the comfort of knowing there's always someone there for you.
Why You’ll Love These Sweet Potato Breakfast Boats:
Gut-friendly: Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and antioxidants like beta-carotene, while spinach and green onions support digestion and overall gut health.
Easy to prep: While the sweet potato bakes, you can sauté the spinach and prep your toppings. That's all you have to do!
Allergen friendly: Naturally gluten-free and easy to adapt for dairy-free eaters.
Customizable & satisfying: Make it heartier with a soft-boiled egg, tofu, or even leftover salmon. It’s a base you can build on, or enjoy simply as is.
Yields: 2
Portion: 1 sweet potato
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, and vegetarian.
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
Salt
2 eggs
1 tbsp sesame oil
5 green onion stalks, finely chopped
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
Optional garnish: red pepper flakes, a sprinkle of sesame seeds
Instructions:
1. Prep sweet potato: Preheat oven to 400. Have your sweet potatoes washed and dried. Prick sweet potatoes with a fork and rub salt into skin. Place onto baking sheet and bake until sweet potato softens, 40-50 minutes.
2. Prep greens: have the green onion and spinach set aside. In a frying pan, add in sesame oil on medium high heat. Add in green onion and spinach. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Salt to taste. Set aside.
3. Carve sweet potato: once the sweet potatoes are done baking, gently remove from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Slice the sweet potatoes down the middle without ripping the sweet potato in half. Gently scoop out the sweet potato insides and add to a bowl. Note, the sweet potato should be easily mashable. If not, please bake for longer.
4. Combine: in the same bowl with the sweet potato insides, add sautéed spinach and green onion in. Add in soy sauce. Mix well.
5. Assemble sweet potato: distribute and stuff greens and sweet potato mixture into each sweet potato evenly. Leave a hole in the middle for an egg. Crack in one egg into each sweet potato. Salt to taste. Bake for another 8-10 minutes, or until egg is cooked to your liking.
6. Serve: garnish with chili flakes, sesame seeds, or even more green onion or soy sauce. Enjoy!
FAQ:
Can I bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time?: For sure. You can bake the sweet potatoes the night before and store them in the fridge. When you're ready to make the boats, reheat slightly, scoop out the flesh, and continue with the recipe from step 4.
What if I don’t eat eggs?: You can skip the eggs entirely or swap them with tofu or tempeh for a plant-based protein boost. A dollop of hummus or tahini also makes a great egg-free option.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?: Yes—just make sure to thaw and squeeze out excess water before sautéing. The texture will be slightly softer but still delicious.
Can I make this in the air fryer?: You can bake the sweet potatoes in the air fryer if they fit. Use 375°F and cook until fork-tender (typically 35–45 minutes depending on size). For the final bake with the egg, reduce time and check frequently to avoid overcooking.
Is this recipe good for meal prep?: Yes! You can prepare the stuffed sweet potatoes (without the egg), refrigerate, and then crack in the egg and bake fresh the next morning. Or prep the entire boat and reheat gently in the oven or microwave.
Recipe Notes:
Choose evenly sized sweet potatoes for more consistent cooking time and presentation.
Check doneness by piercing the sweet potato with a knife—it should glide through easily. If not, bake a bit longer.
Don’t over-scoop the sweet potatoes—you want to leave a sturdy enough base to hold the filling and egg without collapsing.
Egg texture tips: Bake 8–10 minutes for a runny yolk, or closer to 12 for a firmer one. Keep an eye on them!
Optional add-ins: A pinch of garlic or chopped mushrooms.
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