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Peruvian Baked Sweet Potato with Black Bean Salsa, Avocado & Pumpkin Seeds

COPD means your lungs are permanently damaged — and every breath takes more effort than it should. What most people don't realise is that bloating is one of the biggest hidden enemies of COPD patients. When your stomach and intestines expand with gas, they push upward against your diaphragm — physically reducing the space your lungs have to expand. This recipe was built to be completely bloat-free while delivering maximum nutritional support. Sweet potato is one of the most lung-friendly foods available — its beta-carotene directly supports the repair of bronchial mucosa, and research consistently links higher vitamin A intake to slower COPD progression. Avocado delivers healthy monounsaturated fats and calories that COPD patients desperately need — the condition burns significantly more energy just through the effort of breathing. Pumpkin seeds bring magnesium, a mineral that directly relaxes bronchial smooth muscle and improves airflow. Black beans, carefully rinsed to remove the oligosaccharides that cause bloating, add plant protein and iron without the digestive burden. And lime juice delivers vitamin C that reduces oxidative damage in lung tissue. This is Peruvian food doing exactly what your lungs need.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Healthy, Peruvian
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For the Baked Sweet Potato
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes approx. 250g each
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
For the Black Bean Salsa
  • 150 g canned black beans drained and rinsed thoroughly
  • 1 medium avocado diced
  • 2 spring onions green part only (sliced)
  • 3 tbsp fresh coriander chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
  • 1½ tbsp lime juice freshly squeezed
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
For the Topping
  • 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
  • ½ lime sliced

Equipment

  • 1 Oven Preheated to 200°C (390°F)
  • 1 Baking tray or oven rack
  • 1 Parchment paper
  • 1 Medium mixing bowl For the salsa
  • 1 Small dry pan For toasting pumpkin seeds
  • 1 Fine mesh sieve For rinsing black beans
  • 1 Fork For piercing sweet potatoes
  • 1 Citrus juicer For lime juice

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F). Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and pat dry. Pierce each one 6–8 times with a fork. Rub lightly with olive oil and place on a lined baking tray or directly on the oven rack. Bake for 45–50 minutes until completely tender — a knife should slide through the centre with zero resistance.
  2. Drain your canned black beans and rinse extremely thoroughly under cold running water for at least 60 seconds — this removes the oligosaccharides that cause gas and bloating. Pat dry with a paper towel and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl combine the rinsed black beans, diced avocado, spring onion greens, chopped coriander, garlic-infused olive oil, lime juice, ground cumin, and black pepper. Fold gently — keep the avocado in chunks, not mashed. Taste and adjust lime or cumin as needed.
  4. While the sweet potatoes finish baking, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside.
  5. Split each baked sweet potato open lengthways and press the sides gently to open up. Spoon the black bean salsa generously into and over each sweet potato. Scatter toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh coriander leaves over the top. Serve with a lime slice alongside. Eat immediately.