29 September 2010

Sweet Talking Potato


According to nutritionists at the Center for Science 
in the Public Interest (CSPI), the sweet potato 
ranked number one in nutrition of all vegetables!


The reasons sweet potatoes take first place? Dietary 
fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates
protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.


They contain almost twice the daily recommendation for vitamin A, almost half the daily amount of vitamin C, four 
times the amount of beta carotene. Plus, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal.  


Baking them in the oven is my favorite way to enjoy them. 
I line the sweet potatoes with parchment paper and add 
a little water instead of oil. Spices like cayenne, basil 
and oregano add a tonne of flavor to this dish.


A key to remember is that oven temps vary greatly
 between manufacturers and countries. Mine is like a 
90-year old man, slow to get going and has to work twice as 
hard to get the job done! So cooking at 400F for 70 minutes
 is necessary, but 375F for 60 min is more realistic for others.


I love my salsas and sauces! I make a simple yet 
delicious dip for my spuds by chopping a few cloves
 of garlic with spoonfuls of any or all the salsas/sauces in
 the fridge. Then add a little water to thin the mixture out.


Sweet potatoes may be a healthy food for Diabetics, as they stabilize blood sugar levels and lower insulin resistance.
 All these benefits with only about 130 to 160 calories!
 Gives good reason to go hog wild on the sweet potatoes ;)


But be careful because eating too many sweet potatoes 
can cause abdominal swelling and indigestion!


PS: Don't forget to enter my Herbal Coffee Giveaway!

Also, Felicia made my Pumpkin Millet and Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins that you've gotta check out here!


QuestionsDo others tell you that 
you consume too many sweet potatoes
If so, you likely have a problem and should seek help!
 Are there any vegetables you eat in excess?

54 comments:

Meg said... [reply]

As I read this post, I'm also enjoying a sweet potato! I love the nutritional benefits, and it's no surprise they're the healthiest! LOVE it!

Asha Raval said... [reply]

Hey Kelsey,

I do love sweet potatos and also bake mine with Japanese Yams, however...every time I make them I can only eat a little bit or else I get serious digestive issues hehehe and feel super heavy and bloated.

Do you have any idea why this may be?

Its sad because I wish I could enjoy things like Kabocha squash or sweet potatos more but I feel like I am sensitive to starchy stuff, even the healthy kind. But I'm glad you can enjoy them :)

Thanks for the great post! xoxo

Asha

LizNoVeggieGirl said... [reply]

WOWZA that looks delicious. I used to consume too many sweet potatoes but I cut back since I was turning a but orange haha ;)

Yuki said... [reply]

i eat wayyy to much kabocha squash!!

T. Leah said... [reply]

I bought the BIGGEST sweet potato I have ever seen just the other week and I have not been sure how I wanted to consume it! Until NOW! I will Kelsey bake it!! Spices and all, just like yours! looks yummy and I have learned so much about a sweet potato from you.

Unknown said... [reply]

I've never been told that I consume too many sweet potatoes, but I do love them dearly, and yours always look so good. I have, however, been told that I consume too many brussel sprouts. I have a bit of a love affair with brussel sprouts, but I don't often admit this to anyone because it's a little embarrassing. I know you have your muffin, kale wrap, and sweet potato weaknesses though, so I'm hoping you won't judge me for my brussel weakness! I really just love the texture.
Also, I'm a salsa addict, and I'm jealous of your collection. If I'm too lazy to make home made salsa or tomatoes aren't in season, my favourite brand is called Garden Fresh (I think?) and it comes refrigerated. You should try it if you haven't already...there are different flavours and they're awesome!
xoxo

Kenzie @ A Healthy Purpose said... [reply]

ah these look sooo great! i love sweet potatoes. they're great in soup too.

sometimes i think i have too many zucchinis on hand. but i can't help it. they're just so versatile!

Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen said... [reply]

Your potato concoctions always look so good! I love the mound you create! I eat a lot of apples! I mean at least two a day...if not 3. Don't judge...I love them! ( I also eat my fair share of lettuce, but the apples are probably an extreme)

Amy B @ Second City Randomness said... [reply]

People laugh at my adoration towards the SP. But I can't help it. They're sooooo good! And I knew they were healthy, but hot damn, they're one of the best things you can eat! Cause for celebration... :)

Have a good one!!!

Anonymous said... [reply]

mmmm that looks sooo good! i probably eat waaaay too much yellow/green summer squash and kabocha ;)

Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin said... [reply]

I loooove sweet potatoes. I have them about 1-2 times a week because I only buy 1-2 every time I go to the store. I eat a lot of things in excess... particularly beans!

Anonymous said... [reply]

I've never had a sweet potato before! I have some in my fridge that I am planning on making sweet potato fries . Right now I am totally addicted to mushrooms. They are so good I will eat them raw!

Ellen@FirednFabulous said... [reply]

That overflowing cup of sweet potatoes looks SO GOOD! They are probably my favorite veggie, so I'm glad to know they are so healthy. I've heard they're good for your skin too :)

Katie said... [reply]

Ahh OMG I think I was drooling the entire time reading this! lol Wow they look ridic! Sweet potato anything is my favorite! That should have been a TV commercial haha. Ohh, and I eat an abundance of corn and broccoli! Loves it!

Kristy Sayer-Jones @ Southern In Law said... [reply]

I get told that I eat all vegetables in excess :P Especially broccoli.
People always gawk at my vegetable portions because I'm way happier with a plate loaded with vegetables than anything else. I always get "wow Kristy you're so healthy" or "there's no way I could eat that many vegetables".
To me, it doesn't even seem like I eat that many, but apparently I do :P

Tori said... [reply]

I had no idea! Sweet potatoes are my favorite veggie it so happens! Thank god the most nutritious isn't corn or something else yucky! :)

I do have some tummy issues when I eat a whole sweet potato thats a little larger than usual. But I can't help it! They're so gooooooooood!!!!!!!!!!

Ashlei said... [reply]

I love sweet potatoes. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life I think that'd be it! :) That roasted ones you made with the regular potatoes mixed in look amazing.

And dang girl, you do really love your salsas!!
xoxoxo

Kelsey @ Clean Teen Kelsey said... [reply]

I love this post!! Sweet potatoes are HEAVEN, and you've just given me more reasons to stuff them in my face. I had a sweet potato for breakfast this morning, yummy.

As far as foods in excess? I wrote about my accidental carrot overboard on my blog.. hehe. I've been cutting back though. No carrots for Kelsey. :)

Lea @ Healthy Coconut said... [reply]

I love your pictures. They are almost life sized and I want to reach in my computer screen.

I don't consume sweet potato much, maybe once a month or if I have a bag to finish up, then I'll make a dish for it everyday.

I eat chocolate in excess if I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing.

Anonymous said... [reply]

I loooove sweet potatoes - I haven't bought them that much as of late though because I have been busy eating all the squash I can get my hands on!!

Mary @ Bites and Bliss said... [reply]

Ohhh that looks so incredibly delicious!! I love roasted rosemary potatoes..never thought to make them with sweet potatoes before. Mmm :)

I used to eat way too many carrots- I even turned orange! But other than that I love cabbage, okra, brussels sprouts, broc, and peppers..they make up my main vegetable mess for my meals :)

Kath (Eating for Living) said... [reply]

LOL, did you eat all of those? They look so delicious, so I could understand if you did! I can't wait until I try baked sweet potato! Oven roasting is so great, and when I'm moving in a few days, I'll use my new oven every day! (Is the light yellow one also a sweet potato? I only know the orange ones.)

The vegetable I eat to excess is pumpkin atm. (The solid, orange ones - I think you called them kuri in a recent post, but I know them as hokkaido. They are like kabocha, and taste a little like sweet potato actually.)

There was a time in my life when I ate a lot of carrots, like 1 or 2 lbs every day. I turned orange after a while. :D

Monet said... [reply]

I eat broccoli and cauliflower in excess. I have a big bowl everyday! There is nothing better than a bowl of steamed veggies with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. I do get pretty crazy with sweet potatoes during the cooler months. I want that mug that you so beautifully prepared! I'm hungry now!

Madeline - Greens and Jeans said... [reply]

I looove sweet potatoes! I go through 4lbs of baby carrots in a week without too much trouble

Anonymous said... [reply]

Hooray for sweet po-ta-toes!!!

Is it weird that every time I say or think potato, I remember sam in Lord of The Rings saying "you know, po-ta-toe, boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew!"

I'm a big closet nerd, didnt you know? ;)

Loved this post..do more like this please! i love hearing about the nutritional benefits of food!

Dana xox
http://happinessiswithin.wordpress.com/

Chelsea said... [reply]

I had no idea sweet potatoes have iron and calcium. Score! Just another reason for me to eat even more sweet potatoes! :D

Hmm I eat TONS of carrots. I tend to just munch on them whenever I'm preparing a meal.

Unknown said... [reply]

sweet potatoes and carrots are my vegetable of choice. I eat them 2-3x day. Gotta get my Vit. A!!

lequan said... [reply]

i love sweet potatoes done any way. yours look really simple and delicious. thanks for these facts about the sweet potato.

i can't think of one veggie that i eat a lot of. i eat a lot of different varieties of chinese veggies. if it's a plant or a root, most likely i'll eat it.

Megan D said... [reply]

This makes me love sweet potatoes even mroe! I always micro them but I need to start using the oven!

Emily said... [reply]

sweet potatoes are pretty amazing. i love them in baked fry form..sooo good!

claire said... [reply]

I just had a sweet potato mashed and last night I made sweet potato fries! I have no shame either...they are too good!

I eat lots of oats, apples, spinach...pretty much daily

Anonymous said... [reply]

HOLY EFF. you just answered an issue i've been dealing with for about the past week! Lately I've woken up with an unbloated tummy but by the afternoon I look like a malnourished african baby :( I think it's the sweet potatoes! I've been eating them for lunch, dinner, snack, a little every day and maybe this is why I've been having issues! Dang...thanks! ha!

Anonymous said... [reply]

Those potatoes look fun in the mug :)

Josie @Skinny Way Of Life said... [reply]

LOVE LOVE LOVE sweet potatoes, my favorite way to prepare is Olive Oil, Galic Powder, Sea Salt and Italian Seasoning. YUM!! there was a sweet potato festival last week in my area but I was working : ( my friend went and picked some taters for me. I can not wait for sweet potato home fries for breakfast!! can you tell I'm excited? lol

Mandiee said... [reply]

I am definitely glad to hear that sweet potatoes ranked #1! I just can't seem to get enough orange-veggie loving these days (I think I might turn into a sweet potato/winter squash hybrid). I think it's really cool that you roast your sweet potatoes with water. I'm not a huge fan of oiling my veggies (I like them best pure) so I would really like to try this out. How much water do you usually add? As always, your sweet potatoes look so enticing! I think the fact that you serve them in a giant mug makes it all the better :).

Have a lovely day!
xox

Laury@TheFitnessDish said... [reply]

Sweet potatoes have DOUBLE the Beta Carotene than carrots! I posted that fun fact earlier this week, lol. LOVE sweet potatoes.

I go in phases with my veggies, but can't say right now I am eating any in excess. I eat a lot of bananas, but thats a fruit. I WAS eating tomatoes in excess over the summer, but they are not really good anymore. Squash and sweet potatoes will prob be my excess this winter :-)

Jenn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) said... [reply]

Haha, I have never been accused of consuming too many sweet potatoes! I do love 'em, though!

Did you know at one point in time sweet potatoes accounted for 80% of most Okinawans' diet? It's true! Okinawa is among the 5 to 6 pockets (blue zones) in the world where more people live to be 100 years old than other places in the world.

Crystal said... [reply]

I knew there was a reason I love sweet potatoes so much! They are delicious. I love to "bake" them in the microwave and eat them almost every day. I'm starting to eat brussel sprouts in excess now as well...they are just so good!

Stefanie Mockler said... [reply]

Love this!! I actually heard about that study, and it definitely cemented my intense love for sweet potatoes! I eat carrots in excess--raw, cooked, dipped, pretty much any way! :)

Marianne (frenchfriestoflaxseeds) said... [reply]

Now, I like sweet potatoes as much as the next person, and they are obviously a great food for you, but I have a problem with any vegetables being ranked as "the best", implying that others aren't as good. All vegetables are good for you and offer different nutrients. Don't shun one just because someone didn't rank it as number one. I actually wish they didn't rank things like fruits or vegetables - eat a variety of ones you like, and you'll be good to go :)

Samantha said... [reply]

Looks delish!!! I can't tell you the last time I ate a sweet potato!

Neen said... [reply]

Hey thanks for stopping by the blog, yours is lovely, i had a read through some of you recent posts, the skin care one is a fab post, and you are so lovely even without make up one! go you!! the sweet potaters look lovely!!

Anonymous said... [reply]

I eat corn and squash in excess definitely!!! But they're good just as sweet potatoes. So, I guess no harm ;)

Anonymous said... [reply]

Sweet potatoes and squash :) Theres something about the warm softness of them, oh yumyumyum!

Tatianna said... [reply]

Hehe.. I definitely eat sweet potatoes 'in excess' :) They have to be my FAVOURITE veggie out there.. although squash and broccoli aren't far behind!

Thanks for the knowledge.. I love it when something I love so much is SO good for me!
<3 Tat

Anonymous said... [reply]

I am intrigued by your roasting method! Parchment and water... I gotta try that.
My excessive vegetable: prolly squash. It's turning me orange ;)

Sara said... [reply]

Wow, I didn't know it was THE MOST nutritious vegetable...and more fiber than oatmeal?! Amazing!! That explains the tummy troubles I have after eating one, though...hahaha

CaSaundraLeigh said... [reply]

You just made sweet potatoes 10x more appetizing! What an informing post--thanks for sharing! :-)

Missy said... [reply]

OK...SOLD!
I didn't know they can cause tummy bloat...maybe that would explain my bowling ball stomach sometuimes. Lately I have been eating lots of roasted kabocha squash...this has me inspired to break out the sweets.

Oh, and I eat asparagus every.single.day.
My pee doesn't even smell anymore. LOL!

~Missy

Anonymous said... [reply]

UGH. I can't stand the fact that sweet potatoes make me gag :( I have tried so many times in different forms, and it really is the only food that does it. It makes me so mad!!
So to answer your question, I've definitely been eating a lotttt of corn this summer/fall. It is soo good this year, and I am going to go in withdrawal when its gone!

Anonymous said... [reply]

PS: only 3 muffins left. my family loves them :)

Kris said... [reply]

Hahahaha! I love sweet potatoes and made some with sprinkled cinnamon and sea salt last night....drool!! I knew they were pretty healthy for you and I usually eat them in replacement of rice with veg because they are so good for you!

Delish looking potatoes :)

You always make me smile!

xxoo

Haley said... [reply]

Love this! Thanks for the info on the spuds :)
Tonight I topped my sweet potato with pb hummus. So good!
<3

Naturally Me Creations said... [reply]

This sounds great, i love baked veggies (incl sweet potatoes) too!

Well i couldn't resist, i'm a new follower!
Sweet & Savoury Delights

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