Eat More Sweets! (Potatoes, that is!)

Hooray Autumn! Crisp cool days, long walks under falling leaves, and the annual root, gourd, squash and tuber harvests. There’s nothing more lovely than rows upon rows of deep orange veggies marking the final season of the year, the last quarter of this journey around the sun.

Celebrate this season by enjoying one of the most delicious and nutritious foods on the planet - sweet potatoes! Cut and roasted, in soups, salads and desserts, or right out of the oven and on the go, sweet potatoes are the healthy choice that never fails to delight your taste buds.

Sweet potatoes come in over 400 different varieties and in many shades of orange, yellow and red. They are the root of a plant in the morning glory family and only distantly related to the potato. Sometimes labeled yams, sweet potatoes and yams are distinct plants, with different tastes, textures and nutritional profiles. You may see these roots labeled both yams and sweet potatoes, which is required by the USDA to distinguish yams from sweet potatoes, but can serve to confuse rather than clarify.

Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and free from any greenish tint. Store in a cool, dark, well ventilated place for up to ten days. Cooked sweet potatoes make an excellent prep ahead vegetable as they can be safely refrigerated for five days.

Americans traditionally smother sweet potatoes with butter, brown sugar and marshmallows, turning this superfood into a high fat, high calorie side dish served up once a year alongside the turkey. But health and weight conscious people are reclaiming the sweet potato and transforming this versatile vegetable into a powerful ally in the battle of the bulge. Sweet potatoes stabilize blood sugar and improve the cells’ ability to respond effectively to insulin.

TOP 5 WAYS TO EAT MORE SWEET POTATOES:

1 - Slice sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch “wheels”, place on a prepared cookie sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and salt (optional) bake at 450 for 10 minutes, turn and bake until cooked through. Eat “wheels” hot out of the oven or refrigerate them for a quick snack anytime.

2 - Reheat “wheels” for breakfast in a frying pan and serve with butter spray and a hint of maple syrup.

3 - Add cubed sweet potatoes to any stir fry.

4 - Puree cooked sweet potatoes with banana and cinnamon for dessert.

5 - Mash sweet potatoes and layer with whole grain lasagna noodles, steamed spinach, sauteed onions and tomato sauce for a healthy version of an Italian classic.

Hungry after work? Pour an HMR Turkey Chili or Five Bean Casserole atop a baked sweet potato and voila, dinner is served! And for the truly adventurous - add pureed sweet potato, cinnamon and nutmeg to any HMR vanilla shake for a delicious, drinkable version of a Southern pie favorite.

Recommit to your healthy lifestyle and eat more sweets!
 

by luv2run on 11/13/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Recipes