This weekend’s post is dedicated to one of my very favorite foods: sweet potatoes. I am sure my old roomie from college will be shaking her head when she reads this. The first time I popped a sweet potato into our dorm room’s microwave, the look of horror on her face led me to believe that she would soon appeal to our RA for a new roommate. Alas, she stuck with me, and I am pretty sure she has come to find she loves the sweet, orange tuber as well. No surprise there, the sweet potato’s high nutritional content and delicious taste are hard to resist!
So what’s the fuss all about? First and foremost, the sweet potato is an excellent source of beta-carotene. This chemical component is what gives the flashy tuber its distinctive orange color. Beta-carotene, once in the body, is converted to Vitamin A, which is needed for normal vision, cell development, immune function, reproduction, growth, and bone health. In addition to all of these important functions, beta-carotene is also an important antioxidant, which helps to neutralize free radicals. Neutralizing these pesky, unstable atoms may help to slow the aging process and reduce one’s risk for cancer and heart disease.
When consuming sweet potatoes, make sure to include some fat in your meal. Recent studies have shown that including 3-5g of fat with the meal significantly improves the body’s ability to absorb beta-carotene from the digestive tract. This is easy to accomplish as a single teaspoon of olive oil contains 4.5g of fat and 1 pat of butter contains 4.1g of fat.
Aside from its impressive beta-carotene content, 1 cup of baked sweet potato is very good source of vitamin C and manganese. It is also a good source of B vitamins, tryptophan, potassium, copper, and dietary fiber. This impressive array of nutrients for only 100 calories makes sweet potatoes nutrient dense and dieter friendly. This is especially true due its high placement on the satiety index. If adding some olive oil or butter, remember that these fat sources are very energy dense. One teaspoon of olive oil or a pat of butter will add about 40 calories; so don’t go overboard on these toppings.
Another interesting fact about sweet potatoes is that the leaves are edible as well! In fact, the leaves are not only tasty, but also they flaunt a high concentration of lutein, Riboflavin and vitamins A & C. While the leaves may be more difficult for readers outside of Asia to acquire, they are quite common here in local markets. Check here for a Sweet Potato leaf stir-fry recipe: http://www.myasiankitchenny.com/2009/08/stir-fry-sweet-potato-leaves-in-sambal.html. Serve over brown rice for a super healthy meal!
Check back throughout the week for more Wholesome Bites sweet potato recipes.
So what’s the fuss all about? First and foremost, the sweet potato is an excellent source of beta-carotene. This chemical component is what gives the flashy tuber its distinctive orange color. Beta-carotene, once in the body, is converted to Vitamin A, which is needed for normal vision, cell development, immune function, reproduction, growth, and bone health. In addition to all of these important functions, beta-carotene is also an important antioxidant, which helps to neutralize free radicals. Neutralizing these pesky, unstable atoms may help to slow the aging process and reduce one’s risk for cancer and heart disease.
When consuming sweet potatoes, make sure to include some fat in your meal. Recent studies have shown that including 3-5g of fat with the meal significantly improves the body’s ability to absorb beta-carotene from the digestive tract. This is easy to accomplish as a single teaspoon of olive oil contains 4.5g of fat and 1 pat of butter contains 4.1g of fat.
Aside from its impressive beta-carotene content, 1 cup of baked sweet potato is very good source of vitamin C and manganese. It is also a good source of B vitamins, tryptophan, potassium, copper, and dietary fiber. This impressive array of nutrients for only 100 calories makes sweet potatoes nutrient dense and dieter friendly. This is especially true due its high placement on the satiety index. If adding some olive oil or butter, remember that these fat sources are very energy dense. One teaspoon of olive oil or a pat of butter will add about 40 calories; so don’t go overboard on these toppings.
Another interesting fact about sweet potatoes is that the leaves are edible as well! In fact, the leaves are not only tasty, but also they flaunt a high concentration of lutein, Riboflavin and vitamins A & C. While the leaves may be more difficult for readers outside of Asia to acquire, they are quite common here in local markets. Check here for a Sweet Potato leaf stir-fry recipe: http://www.myasiankitchenny.com/2009/08/stir-fry-sweet-potato-leaves-in-sambal.html. Serve over brown rice for a super healthy meal!
Check back throughout the week for more Wholesome Bites sweet potato recipes.