Can I eat sweet potato?
The sweet potato or sweet potato, a food desired by many but consumed by few, why
What is sweet potato?
Some think that it is a vegetable, others that it is a vegetable, but the truth is that the sweet potato is an autumn tuber , consumed mainly in October and November and very characteristic of the popular Catalan festival La Castañada.
It is a food with a high nutritional density , that is, it provides us with many nutrients in a small volume. If I had to highlight something about the sweet potato, it would undoubtedly be its provitamin A, although it must be said that it is rich in carbohydrates and low in fat. As for proteins, it is not that it has too many (1.2%) but it has an amino acid profile that is suitable for its use and they are rich in one of the so-called essentials, methionine.
Provitamin A gives the sweet potato its orange color, as well as with the rest of vegetables and orange vegetables (carrot, pumpkin, etc.). This provitamin A is in the form of beta – carotene . A serving of sweet potato, about 200 grams has 28,000 IU of beta-carotene, more than double the daily needs of this nutrient, essential for skin, visual health and bone development. It also highlights its content in vitamins C, B6, B5, B1 and B2. As for minerals, its contribution of manganese, potassium, copper and iron stands out.
Can I eat sweet potato?
It is a very common question among my patients: “ Can I eat sweet potato? ”And I always answer the same thing: Yes, of course, you can eat whatever you want as long as it is a food (and not an ultra-processed one), something that I insist on a lot in my changing habits course .
So why so scared to eat sweet potato? Well, it is a fairly widespread myth, that it is fattening and “has a lot of sugar”. Regarding that, before I said that it is rich in hydrates, but you should know that despite having hydrates, the glycemic index of the sweet potato once cooked is low, 7 (it may vary minimally depending on the bibliography you consult), which It means that glucose passes slowly into the blood without causing sudden insulin spikes. So much so that it is recommended, in moderate amounts, in case of diabetes .
And what you may not know is that the sweet potato has 70% water in its composition, which does not make it one of the most caloric foods, 100 grams do not even have 100 calories, they have 86 calories to be more exact .
In summary, you can eat sweet potato calmly , knowing that its glycemic index is low and that it does not provide hardly any calories.
And … How do I eat the sweet potato?
The most common and usual thing is to eat roasted sweet potato, along with a handful of chestnuts in addition. But there are tons of recipes, or at least ways, to eat it. I will tell you some of them:
- Roast. Just bake the sweet potato.
- Sweet potato toast with banana and red berries, for example.
- In chips. They are also baked. You cut the sweet potato into thin layers (as if they were chips) and you bake them, be careful not to burn! If you want, you can pre-season them with spices, oils or aromatic herbs. You can use them as a snack, a first course or to add to your salads.
- On sticks. Back in the oven or on the grill. Instead of cutting it into a chip, you cut it into sticks.
- In cream or puree. Here are a thousand possible combinations: sweet potato and carrot, sweet potato and coriander, cauliflower and sweet potato …
- Stuffed, with vegetables, cereals, leaves … one option that I usually make is stuffed with buckwheat and spinach.
- Skewers As a garnish to your protein dishes or as an original appetizer.
- Cakes, pastries and sweets. You will find a thousand and one recipes of them.
- Sautéed with rice and other vegetables or protein.
- In vegetable burger.
- Stew with legumes and vegetables, replacing the potato.
- Vegetable pate to dip, accompanying the classic hummus or guacamole.
- In soups and broths, minestrone type.
- And much more…!
Enjoy food and eat it without fear as long as it is that, food.
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