(Family Features) Starting a journey toward better health and wellness can begin the same way you can (and should) start each day: with a nutritious breakfast. A morning meal loaded with nutrient-boosting flavor provides the foundation you need not only for the day at hand, but for a sustainable long-term eating plan, as well.

Consider this Sweetpotato Breakfast Bake as a budget-friendly way to feed your family with plenty of leftovers for days to follow. Full of eggs, bell peppers and turkey sausage, it’s a surefire crowd-pleaser that’s also loaded with shredded sweetpotatoes. According to the American Diabetes Association, sweetpotatoes are a “diabetes superfood” because they’re rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, all of which are good for overall health and may help prevent disease.

Plus, they offer both a natural sweetener and “sweet” flavor without added sugar to give homemade dishes a perfect touch of deliciousness. Ideal as a key ingredient in both simple and elevated recipes, sweetpotatoes can be prepared in several ways, ranging from cooked on the stove to baked, microwaved, grilled or even slow-cooked.

At your next breakfast or brunch get-together, share this fun fact: the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission deliberately spells sweetpotato as one word after the one-word spelling was officially adopted by the National Sweetpotato Collaborators in 1989 to help avoid confusion between sweetpotaotes and equally unique, distinctive white potatoes in the minds of shippers, distributors, warehouse workers and consumers.

Visit NCSweetpotatoes.com to find more nutritious breakfast ideas to support your wellness goals.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

Sweetpotato Breakfast Bake

Recipe courtesy of Tessa Nguyen, RD, LDN, on behalf of the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 12

•             Nonstick cooking spray
• 1          cup sweetpotatoes, shredded
• 1/2       cup cooked turkey sausage crumbles or cooked turkey bacon
• 1/4       cup green onions, sliced
• 1/2       cup bell pepper, diced
• 9          eggs, beaten
• 1/2       cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2       teaspoon black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Spray 13-by-9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Evenly spread sweetpotatoes, sausage or bacon, green onions and bell peppers in dish. Pour eggs carefully into baking dish. Sprinkle shredded cheese and black pepper over eggs.
3. Bake 15 minutes.
4. Slice into 12 pieces and serve hot.