Sweet Potatoes, so healthy!

Sweet History

Sweet potatoes often get confused with other veggies. Most often it’s yams. Truth is, they come from a far older family. Sweet potatoes can trace their roots back to prehistoric Ecuador and Peru. Yams, which are native to West Africa and Asia, only date back to 50,000 B.C. They’re rare outside those areas, so that dish labeled yams might really be sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are better for Blood Sugar: White potatoes, the ones you normally eat baked or as french fries, rank high on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly food affects your blood sugar. Sweet potatoes rate lower. They also have more fiber -- about 5 grams in a 3/4 cup serving -- which slows digestion and keeps you feeling fuller longer.

And sweet potatoes are full of healthy components: Vitamin A : 400% of the vitamin A needs

Antioxidants Beta-Carotene Vitamin C Potassium

Iron

The way you cook your sweet potatoes can make a substantial difference in the nutrition you’ll get from the dish. One study measured how many carotenoids, like beta-carotene, stayed in the food afterward. The simplest method, oven baking, turned out to be the best.

Source: Retention of carotenoids in orange-fleshed sweet potato during processing