What’s So Great About Sweet Potato?

What’s So Great About Sweet Potato?

Slice into a sweet potato and you will see immediately why it is a superfood. Anything with a colour that vibrant is nature’s way of saying, “Eat Me!” Packed with fiber (especially with the skin ) and one of nature’s best sources of vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes are a true powerhouse. It’s no wonder we used it in our name.

Vitamin A can only be found in meat, but certain fruits and vegetables contain what are called cartenoids that are converted into vitamin A by our bodies. In the sweet potato’s case, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A.  Vitamin A’s other name is retinol (think retina) for the significant role it plays in healthy eyes.  According to whfoods.com, “vitamin A is also known to enhance the function of white blood cells, increase the response of antibodies to antigens, and to have anti-viral activity.” Pair this with sweet potato’s high vitamin C content and you have a serious antioxidant and immune boosting spud. Vitamin C is known to protect against free radicals, which may cause heart disease and cancer.

In need for a few more reasons to add sweet potatoes to your diet? They are a good source of iron, calcium and potassium and they have a favourable ranking on the glycemic index, meaning our bodies convert them into sugar slowly.

Preparation:

You can lose some of the nutritional value of sweet potato based on how you prepare it. A good rule of thumb with most vegetables is to steam, bake or boil.

To increase vitamin absorption, add a little fat to your recipes, in the form of heart healthy olive oil for instance.

If you’re at a loss for fun ways to incorporate sweet potatoes into your daily recipe grind, try our sweet potato french toast or sweet potato cookies.

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3 Comments

  1. trixi rittenhouse
    November 23, 20:20 Reply

    “How sweet it is”
    Proof positive that this is “One hot potato!”
    The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation donated 25 million to
    Harvest Plus to introduce South African farmers to the non-GM biofortified
    sweet potato.
    Harvest Plus is also developing other nutrient enhanced staple foods, such as pumpkin coloured beta carotene enriched corn.
    President Obama pledged 3.5 billion, to help small farmers to modernize and
    harvest these enriched vitamin A biofortified foods.
    Health experts and researchers ask, “Could the sweet potato help save the
    world from malnutrition?”
    This spud’s for you”
    Aunt T

  2. Heidi Pyper
    November 23, 20:51 Reply

    Hey Aunt T.
    Thanks for this info. So great! And thanks for reading too.

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