Beef & Sweet Potato Hash with Baby Spinach

Comfort Food That’s Low-Key a Nutritional Power Move

Welcome back to Plan4One, where we whip up healthy solo meals that are big on flavour, light on effort, and proudly adulting without giving up carbs.

This is another gem from the Iron & Glow series—recipes designed to boost iron and vitamin C while calming your poor, inflamed insides from the chaos of modern life (or, you know, that third coffee you definitely didn’t need).

Today we’re digging into something warm, hearty, and weirdly energising: Beef & Sweet Potato Hash with Baby Spinach.
It’s a one-pan situation that somehow tastes like comfort food while sneakily feeding you leafy greens, beta-carotene, and iron. Like a hug from a nutritionist… if they could cook and didn’t talk about gut flora all the time.

🥩 Why This Works:

Let’s break down the nutrition flex here:

Lean beef mince is a brilliant source of heme iron—super absorbable and great for energy, especially if you’re feeling a bit meh lately.
Sweet potato is anti-inflammatory, rich in beta-carotene (hello, antioxidants), and adds a little natural sweetness that plays beautifully with the beef.
Spinach brings bonus iron and a load of phytonutrients that basically scream, “You’re doing great, sweetie.”
Lime juice finishes it off by helping your body absorb all that plant-based iron. And also makes you feel slightly fancier than you are.

🛒 Ingredients (Serves 1):

Nothing weird, nothing hard to find. Just tasty stuff you might already have:

100g lean beef mince
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 handful baby spinach
¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp olive oil
¼ tsp ground cumin
Juice of ¼ lime

Optional: A sprinkle of chili flakes, coriander, or a fried egg on top if you want to go full brunch mode.

🔥 Method:

1. Soften the sweet potato.
Steam or microwave your sweet potato cubes for 5–7 minutes until soft but not falling apart. This makes the whole hash come together quicker than pretending you’re going to the gym after work.

2. Cook the beef.
In a pan, heat the olive oil and toss in the sliced red onion. Sauté for 2 minutes, then add the beef mince and cumin. Stir and cook until browned and fragrant.

3. Add the veg.
Tip in the cooked sweet potato and stir through for a couple of minutes so everything gets cozy. Toss in the spinach right at the end and cook until just wilted—about 2 minutes tops.

4. Finish with lime.
Squeeze over your lime juice, give it one last stir, and boom—you’ve got a well-balanced, iron-loaded, inflammation-fighting dinner in under 20 minutes.

🕒 Quick Tip:

Batch-cook your sweet potatoes.
Roast or steam a few at once and freeze them in single-serve portions. Future-you will be thrilled when dinner takes 10 minutes instead of 20.

🧠 Bonus Variations (AKA What to Do When the Fridge Is Weird):

No beef? Use chicken mince, lentils, or even chopped mushrooms for a vego twist.
Add a dash of smoked paprika or chili powder for a spicy, smoky vibe.
Stir in some feta or goat cheese at the end if dairy agrees with you—it makes the whole thing taste a bit brunch café-y.

Why This Hash Slaps (Nutritionally Speaking):

This dish is a triple threat: iron, vitamin C, and inflammation-fighting nutrients all hanging out in a bowl together like old friends at a wholesome dinner party.

It fuels your brain, keeps your energy stable, and tastes like something way more indulgent than it actually is. Plus, it makes just one pan dirty, which is the real win.