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Vegetarian Sweet Potato and Bean Burrito Recipe

Published on April 3, 2021 • Last updated April 6, 2024 by Elizabeth
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This vegetarian sweet potato and bean burrito recipe is packed full of cycling-specific nutrition. It is perfect for rustling up and taking out on the mountain bike trails to fuel that adventure.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy

Image of a vegetarian bean burrito in the foreground, cut in half to show the fillings. Burritos wrapped in brown paper and a Veloform sticker are blurred in the background.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Fuel that adventure
  • Cycle Nutrition
  • What you’ll need for this recipe… and why
  • Food to fuel cycling: sweet potato
  • Food to fuel cycling: borlotti beans
  • Food to fuel cycling: tortilla wraps
  • Vegetarian Bean and Rice Burrito
  • Pin this vegetarian sweet potato and bean burrito recipe for later
  • Other recipes you might like

Fuel that adventure

Five years ago this summer, I discovered a love of cycling. The freedom it provided, the endorphin rush, the distraction-free thinking time.

During the lockdown, I took my casual cycling hobby to the next level. I bought a road bike. I discovered speed. I discovered that I could become reasonably good at it too, with the right training, with the right fuel.

I had yet to learn how important it was to eat properly to fuel rides. Most of my early rides were done before breakfast, too – no wonder I’d spend the rest of the day utterly shattered, even if I’d only cycled 16 miles.

Now, I find myself getting up at 5 in the morning to eat a bowl of peanut butter porridge made with almond milk before a big day’s riding. Room temperature overnight oats have been spooned into my mouth a specific number of hours before virtually racing up the Alpe d’Huez. I now prep post-ride recovery shakes. I also eat a ridiculous amount of peanut butter.

Not only is eating the right food important, but timing the consumption of these foods matters too. If you wait until you feel the hunger pangs when you’re out on a ride before you eat that muesli bar in your jersey pocket, you’ve left it too late.

Cycle Nutrition

Getting cycle nutrition wrong can have disastrous consequences. “The Bonk,” as it’s known in cycling, has happened to every rider at some point. Your legs turn to jelly, your eyelids want to close, and all you can think about is stopping exactly where you are.

However, getting it right can allow you to ride for longer, with more strength and stamina. This ultimately allows you to enjoy the bike more or achieve your cycling goals. We focus on pre-ride, during, and post-ride food—three key areas to get right to maximise your ride.

Eating while on the ride is important, so we came up with a recipe that is not only tasty but also packed with the right level of nutrients and a practical answer to the squashed jam sandwich at the bottom of your bag.

The 3 key ingredients in this recipe for maximum fuelling are sweet potato, borlotti beans and tortilla wraps.

What you’ll need for this recipe… and why

  • Sweet potato – an excellent source of complex carbohydrates required for exercise. Sweet potatoes (especially the orange variety) also contain beta-carotene, which may help reduce exercise-induced oxidative stress and post-exercise inflammation.
  • Borlotti beans – during exercise, your body tears microfibres within your muscles. Repairing these fibres that will ultimately make you stronger for next time. Borlotti beans provide the protein, fibre and iron to make this happen.
  • Coriander & lime rice – use ready-made for convenience, this low-medium GI food provides a slow and sustained release of sugar into the bloodstream.
  • Ginger – optional, for digestion and flavour.
  • Red onion – just for flavour.
  • Garlic – anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant, which means less oxidative stress and more healing. Also, tasty.
  • Chillies – not essential but adds a bit of spice and flavour.
  • Avocado – good for adding moisture to what would otherwise be quite a dry mouthful. Also, good fats.
  • Cheddar cheese – because, you know!
  • Spices – dried oregano and whole cumin seeds
  • Lime – because we all need a little citrus zing in our lives.
  • Tortilla wraps – the tortilla wrap is genius at providing a neat package that doesn’t tear or seep.

Food to fuel cycling: sweet potato

When it comes to exercise, sweet potatoes are one of the best foods available. They are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, long, complex chains of sugar molecules that the body turns into glucose (blood sugar) and uses as energy.

Think of these carbs as putting gas in the tank. You wouldn’t expect your car to run without fuel, and neither will your body. When you’re out riding, you’re predominantly burning carbs so it’s important to keep them topped up.

Now we could just replenish our carbs with carbohydrate drinks and gels—there’s plenty on the market. However, these products have a finite life to how much of a spike they will give you, and they can also become quite sickly. They can also really affect your gut health.

Sweet potatoes are packed with over 20% carbohydrates and with a low Glycemic Index (GI) they will release this gradually and keep you full for longer; ideal for those big days out.

They’re also high in potassium, which will stave off the cramps from all the sweating from physical exercise. Sweet potatoes, especially the orange variety, are also packed to the gunnels with beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A. This vitamin is ideal for growth, keeping our vital organs functioning and, importantly, maintaining the immune system.

Eat them before, during or after your ride.

Food to fuel cycling: borlotti beans

During exercise, your body tears microfibres within your muscles. Repairing these fibres will ultimately make you stronger for the next time, so it’s important to give the body the building materials it needs to do this.

Borlotti beans (also known as cranberry beans) provide the protein, fibre, and iron needed for this.

We don’t want huge amounts of this while we’re riding, as the body can’t process it quickly enough. However, with these beans, there’s enough to replenish the stores and keep the levels up until you get home.

Food to fuel cycling: tortilla wraps

Designed to keep it all together, the tortilla wrap is genius at providing a neat package that doesn’t tear or seep. Perfect for that on-the-go snack.

You can fold your burrito the traditional way (full instructions here) or do it our way, which we find is less messy and easier to tuck into a jersey pocket or rucksack (watch the video in the recipe card, below).

And that folks, is a wrap!

Get yourself outside to play, ride safe and eat well.

Recipe Difficulty Levels

Easy

Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.

Moderate

Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.

Challenging

Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.

Vegetarian Bean and Rice Burrito

Roasted sweet potato, borlotti beans and rice combined with spiced red onion, garlic, chilli, avocado, cheddar cheese, lime and coriander wrapped in a tortilla.
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Servings: 6 burritos
Calories: 421kcal
Author: Elizabeth
Cost: £4

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 red onion finely chopped
  • 1 fresh red chilli finely chopped
  • 0.5 thumb fresh ginger root finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 400 grams borlotti beans tinned
  • 250 grams coriander and lime rice
  • 1 medium avocado chopped
  • 100 grams mature cheddar cheese grated
  • 1 handful fresh coriander leaves
  • 1 lime juice only
  • 6 tortilla wraps

Affiliate Links

This recipe card may contain affiliate ingredient and equipment links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment

knife
roasting tray
frying pan
cheese grater
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Peel 1 medium sweet potato and cut it into 2-inch pieces. Roast, without oil, in a preheated 180 C/ 350 F/ gas mark 4 oven for 45 minutes.
    Photo of peeled, cubed sweet potato on an old baking tray.
  • Once cool to touch, slice into smaller pieces.
  • Heat 1 tbsp butter in a non-stick frying pan. Gently saute 1 red onion, finely chopped, and the roasted sweet potato until the onion has softened and the potato has broken down. Approximately 6 minutes.
  • Add 1/2 tsp dried oregano and 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds.
  • Add 2 garlic cloves. finely chopped, 0.5 thumb fresh ginger root, grated and 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped.
  • Stir in 400 grams borlotti beans, drained and rinsed. Cook for 3 minutes to heat.
    Photo of tinned borlotti beans in a frying pan.
  • Add 250 grams coriander and lime rice, and heat through for another 3 minutes.
  • Lay out 6 tortilla wraps and top each with 1/6th of the borlotti bean/rice mixture.
    Image of pan spooning filling onto tortilla.
  • Divide 1 medium avocado, 100 grams mature cheddar cheese and 1 handful fresh coriander leaves between the six wraps.
    Image of burrito assembly with toppings.
  • Squeeze over the juice of 1 lime.
    Image of man holding lime wedge above burrito.
  • Fold the burrito and wrap in paper.

Video

Notes

Prep in advance – roast the sweet potato a day before and continue with step 2 when you’re ready to make the burritos.
Make it vegan – use rapeseed oil in step 3 and substitute the cheddar cheese for a vegan alternative like this one.
Make it gluten-free – use a gluten-free tortilla.
Music to cook to – Use Your Illusion II – Guns n Roses

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 700mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5745IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 221mg | Iron: 3mg

Pin this vegetarian sweet potato and bean burrito recipe for later

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Category: Carbohydrates, Potato, Recipe, Rice, Vegetarian, VeggieTag: burrito recipe, cycle recipe, vegetarian recipe

About Elizabeth

Solivagant. Foodie. Calls Shetland home.

Previous Post:Creamy Potato and Leek Soup
Next Post:Takeaway Style Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry RecipeImage of sweet and sour pork.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tiffany

    April 15, 2021 at 1:10 pm

    5 stars
    Just tried these and I love that you used sweet potatoes in your burritos!! SO yummy and adds so much flavour. Definitely going to be making these again soon. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!

    Reply
  2. Soniya

    April 9, 2021 at 9:54 pm

    Love burritos! These look and sounds delicious and filling. Yum

    Reply
  3. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

    April 9, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    These look really filling and satisfying. Looking forward to making these.

    Reply
  4. Allyssa

    April 9, 2021 at 12:49 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks a lot for sharing this! This burrito looks really good. I love burrito!

    Reply
  5. Gina

    April 9, 2021 at 11:52 am

    5 stars
    The perfect lunch to fuel up with for any long active day! Love all the elements to this burrito.

    Reply
5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Cooking up a storm at the edge of the world

Image of Elizabeth Atia making a cake in the Aald Harbour Hoose, Shetland. Photograph by Misa Hay from Shetland Wool Adventures.

Welcome to Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary, Scotland’s most northerly award-winning food blog.

I’m based in the wild and remote Shetland Islands, where I’ve been sharing my adventure-fuelling recipes since 2011.

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“Never underestimate the power of your own story. Life may have taken unexpected turns, but it’s never too late to weave new threads of adventure into your tapestry. Keep spinning those yarns, my friend.

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