Sweet potatoes are a versatile vegetable. (Yes, they are a vegetable. A starchy vegetable, but still a vegetable.) They are great in pies and sides alike, and similar to regular potatoes, they can be prepared in myriad ways. Try them fried or baked, mashed or hashed – they're almost always good. But what kind of nutritional value do they bring? Like many foods, it depends on how they are prepared.
We spoke with Barbara Olendzki, an associate professor of population and quantitative health sciences at UMass Chan Medical School, to find out everything you need to know about sweet potatoes.
Are sweet potatoes 'good' or 'bad' carbs?
Sweet potatoes contain the “good” kind of carbs – often called “complex carbohydrates.” Complex carbohydrates are considered healthier than simple carbohydrates. They take longer to digest and create more lasting energy. They also won’t create sudden blood sugar spikes (like simple sugars can) that can temporarily give you energy but leave you feeling fatigued after a short period of time.
Olendzki says the biggest thing sweet potatoes bring to the table is carotenoids, which are helpful for our eye health.
She also explains that there are things you can do to optimize the health benefits of sweet potatoes, “Combine them with a good fat (like a vinaigrette) or add more fiber (ground flaxseed, for example) to help delay uptake of the carbohydrate into glucose in the body.”
Olendzki breaks down the nutrition for us, “For one medium sweet potato with Newman’s Balsamic Vinaigrette (1 Tablespoon) on top, you have 189 calories, 6g fat, 32 grams of carbohydrate, 3 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and even have 1 mg of iron. Not bad, huh?”
Are sweet potatoes any healthier than regular potatoes?
Olendzki says yes. “They are better than white potatoes,” she explains.That's because they have lower glycemic uptake, more fiber and more carotenoids that are good for the eyes and inflammation.
For even more nutritional value, Olendzki has a tip. “Leave the skin on! It's so tasty and that is where lots of nutrients and fiber reside,” she emphasizes.
Are sweet potatoes healthy for weight loss?
Like most diets, it depends on what other foods you are eating, your activity level and if you have any underlying health conditions. If you have diabetes, you may need to exercise caution when it comes to sweet potatoes because they do have a lot of carbohydrates.
It also depends on how the sweet potatoes are prepared – if you fry them, that can add harmful fats. Same thing if you add lots of butter or marshmallows. But as part of a well-balanced diet, sweet potatoes contain important vitamins and the “good” kind of carbohydrates.
The Bottom Line. Sweet potatoes are full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber to support your eye, digestive and heart health. They're generally safe to eat daily, especially if you eat them with calcium to prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones. There are so many fun and tasty ways to eat sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are nutritious, packing a good amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese into each serving. They also have anticancer properties and may promote immune function and other health benefits. Sweet potatoes are sweet, starchy root vegetables that are grown worldwide ( 1 ).
CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.
Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of oxalates that may increase the risk of calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, and their excessive consumption can lead to hypervitaminosis A (vitamin A toxicity), in which excess vitamin A accumulates in the liver.
Sweet potatoes contain the “good” kind of carbs – often called “complex carbohydrates.” Complex carbohydrates are considered healthier than simple carbohydrates. They take longer to digest and create more lasting energy.
Though they can both be part of a healthy diet, sweet potatoes are generally healthier than regular potatoes, partly because of their incredibly high vitamin A content. Sweet potatoes are also lower on the glycemic index, meaning that they are less likely than regular potatoes to make your blood sugar spike.
Boiling may theoretically be best, but sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy that the actual best way to prepare them is whichever way will get you to eat the most of them! The exception is deep frying, which can lead to the formation of acrylamide, a potential human carcinogen.
If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.
As starchy root vegetables, sweet potatoes do have more carbs than non-starchy vegetables like broccoli. (Half a cup of sweet potatoes contains about 13 grams of carbs, while the same amount of broccoli has about 3 grams.) But that may be just another reason to embrace them—not to fear them.
Sweet potatoes have more fiber and nutrients which are useful for our bodies. Rice is a cereal that has less fiber and vitamins because its upper beneficial peel is the vest for the whitening process.
What we do know, however, is that — before any cooking happens — both white potatoes and sweet potatoes are nutritious. And almost equally nutritious at that," adds Willingham. Raw sweet potatoes and white potatoes have comparable nutrition profiles, with similar calories per serving and macronutrient breakdown.
The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes has been shown to fight inflammation, and eating them regularly can help ease joint pain and other symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. If you're looking for a delicious way to reduce inflammation, add some sweet potatoes to a salad or bake alongside protein!
Sweet potatoes earned the name "superfood" because of the amount of nutrients they have. Studies show they may help with: Cancer. Carotenoids in sweet potatoes might lower your risk for cancer.
Sweet potatoes are rich in oxalate content and can result in the formation of kidney stones. Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in sweet potato side effects such as Vitamin A toxicity, which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches.
Sweet potatoes are a traditional staple, and much better for you than regular white potatoes, but as there are no contests for the “most nutritious” vegetable, I can't verify the claim you heard. Nor should you believe that you could live on sweet potatoes alone – you wouldn't do well on such a limited diet.
One small sweet potato contains half the calories as a piece of toast. Vitamins A and C don't even register on the charts for bread, while sweet potatoes offer a good source of vitamin C and some potassium.
Absolutely. Besides their health benefits, sweet potatoes are a great addition to any weight loss diet. First up, they're very high in fibre — especially soluble fibre. Soluble fibre is excellent because it slows down your digestion and helps you feel full, which can curb the urge to snack between meals.
Sweet potatoes are the perfect example of a carbohydrate that's high-nutrient and low in sugar, sodium and saturated fat. It's exactly what diabetes experts recommend fill up one-quarter of your plate at mealtimes.
Sweet potatoes earned the name "superfood" because of the amount of nutrients they have. Studies show they may help with: Cancer. Carotenoids in sweet potatoes might lower your risk for cancer.
Introduction: My name is Kimberely Baumbach CPA, I am a gorgeous, bright, charming, encouraging, zealous, lively, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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