Secret 18: Give Thanks for Sweet Potatoes

Aaah, sweet potatoes. If potatoes are the step-sisters of Cinderella, then the sweet potato is... Cinderella!  Why? Here is a food that is sweet AND good for you.  What a combination!

Some of the reasons why healthy centenarians enjoy sweet potatoes guilt-free include:

• sweet potatoes are high in vitamins such as the B5, B6, C and E
• they are high in minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium
• and are thus high in anti-oxidants such as beta carotene (hence that orange color), alpha carotene and lycopene (which is also found in watermelon and cooked tomatoes).  
• beta carotene is an interesting anti-oxidant. It helps protect against free radical damage and thus helps protect cells from aging. It also is a precursor of vitamin A which boosts your immune system. According to Beare, a high intake of beta carotene reduces your risk of getting cancers of the mucous membranes such as mouth, throat, lung and stomach cancer. In fact, one average sweet potato contains nearly 10 milligrams of beta carotene. 100 g or 3.5 oz. of sweet potatoes provides nearly 80% of the U.S. daily recommended intake of beta carotene for adults. If you do not like the sweet taste of this vegetable but still want beta carotene from natural sources, consider eating more dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach or watercress. Carrots and pumpkins are also high in beta carotene.
• sweet potatoes are lower in carbohydrates, calories and glycemic index than potatoes (compare 100 g of sweet potato at 80 kcal to a 100 g bar of chocolate!)
• many nutritionists recommend that a healthy diet consists of color and sweet potatoes are a great way to add color to your plate and to thus add the afore-mentioned vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants
• according to Beare, sweet potatoes help in the treatment of arthritis, stomach and muscle cramps, and gallstones...
• sweet potatoes do not absorb butter like the common potato.  They are so tasty that they can easily be enjoyed w/o butter. Also, they are easy to mash and taste delicious without milk, cream, sour cream, butter or salt.   An uncomplicated vegetable packed with flavor and nutrients!

You can enjoy sweet potatoes raw as an ingredient when you juice, or baked, grilled, fried, roasted, or as a dessert:  

sweet potato pie - no need to add sugar!

We substitute French fries with baked sweet potato fries.  They are quick and easy to prepare from scratch at home and always popular. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite books on nutrition: 'Eat, Drink and Be Healthy' by Walter C. Willett:

Ingredients:

• one large sweet potato cut into thin fries (about 3.5 cups)
• one tablespoon first-pressed virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or, if you prefer garlic and/or onion powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
• salt to taste

i.    Preheat oven to 450' F

ii.    Mix sweet potato fries with all other ingredients; spread out on a large baking sheet

iii.   Bake 12 to 15 minutes

and presto, you have a tasty, home-made, healthy alternative to those 'non-food', drive-through French fries that are deep-fried in cheap vegetable oil and are packed with vein-clogging fats, additives, and unpronounceable chemicals.  

A healthy snack: baked sweet potato 'fries'

By the way, sweet potatoes are healthiest when consumed WITH their skins.  If you do eat the skins you may want to select organic sweet potatoes even though pesticides are rarely needed in the cultivation since sweet potatoes have few natural enemies.  The skins are rich in vitamins, minerals AND fiber.  

And now for a bit of sweet potato trivia:

Although the earliest sweet potatoes were discovered in Peru, South America around 8000 B.C., they are believed to have originated in Central America.

In Peru, the Nahuatl-derived name is kumar and in New Zealand, the Maori word 'kumara' is used in NZ English. The main supplier, at about 80% of world supply, is China. The majority of China's crop is used to feed pigs. The Americas, the origin of the sweet potato, produce less than 5% of the world's supply. Unfortunately the per capita consumption of sweet potatoes has drastically declined in the U.S.  In the 1920ies it was calculated at around thirty pounds, more recently it was found to be closer to three pounds.  Those three pounds are often - and unnecessarily - served with brown sugar and butter or fried in bacon drippings!  In the U.S,  the major producer is North Carolina (over a third of U.S production), followed by California.  If you are like attending food festivals, consider visiting Opelousas, Louisiana in October for its historic 'Yambilee'.  In Europe, sweet potatoes are grown mainly in Portugal.  Although sweet potatoes are called potatoes, they are not a potato but a root vegetable (like carrots)  By the way, sweet potatoes are not yams although they are sometimes erroneously referred to as such.  

And finally, sweet potatoes belong to the same Genus as the morning glory (pretty but toxic):

Another member of the Ipomoea genus

Take-home lesson: if the sweet taste is acceptable to you, boost your anti-oxidants and especially your beta-carotene by including the sweet potato as a staple of your 'vegetable' diet.   And if your children don't like eating vegetables, serve them sweet potatoes!