sweet potato goodness
When I started looking at sweet potatoes, I was trying to figure out the difference between them and regular white potatoes. I was really surprised when I found out the difference, so I thought I’d write about it because I’m sure a lot of people (like me) didn’t know how good they are for you.
Of course, the first thing I always look for is what is the difference in fat and calorie content? Surprisingly, I found that there wasn’t a huge difference between them, except for the fiber content.
White Potatoes (6oz) Sweet Potatoes (6oz)
189 calories 214 calories
.17 grams of fat .19 grams of fat
4.2 grams of fiber 7.1 grams of fiber
White potatoes carry all of their vitamins and nutrients in their skin, the part that most of us throw away. So unless you leave the skins on your white potatoes, they contain virtually no nutrients.
When I started reading about all the vitamins and nutrients in a sweet potato and what they might do for you, I decided to start cooking with them.
Sweet potatoes themselves have a sweeter taste (hence the name they were given)
They also come from a completely different family than white potatoes.
White potatoes come from a family whose name is Solanceae. Other members of this family include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatillas.
Sweet potatoes come from a family whose name is Convolvulaceae. Members of this family include the flower called morning glory.
So, as you can see, they are two totally different types of vegetables even though they share the same name.
Sweet potatoes that are high in fiber would make them a more complex carbohydrate, meaning it would take longer for your system to digest them, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.
I also found that they have a great effect on diabetics as well. Now, being a more complex carbohydrate will only help blood sugar levels because it won’t give your sugar a spike like white potatoes will.
Sweet potatoes are 40% soluble fiber, which helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol. They are also rich in carotenoids, orange and yellow pigments that help the body respond to insulin.
They are also loaded with vitamin C, which is a daily necessity for us. The antioxidant power of vitamin C in sweet potatoes helps keep arteries from damage and helps fight heart disease and diabetes complications.
Recent studies have shown among nearly 2,000 men that those with diets rich in beta-carotene and vitamin C were more likely to survive prostate cancer than those without.
The same was found in a study of women that it helped reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 25%.
Beta-carotene is a nutrient that the body converts to vitamin A. It is an antioxidant and may offer some protection against certain cancers and diseases.
Sweet potatoes are also great for people with high blood pressure because they are rich in potassium, which is known to lower blood pressure.
It’s amazing that all this can be found in a vegetable! So try substituting sweet potatoes wherever you are using white potatoes. There are many great recipes for sweet potatoes.