Posted Feb 25, 2011
Trying to eat right but craving something sweet? Don’t count out sweet potatoes! February is National Sweet Potato month, and these tasty tubers are low in calories and loaded with vitamins and minerals.
1. They’re highly nutritious
Sweet potatoes are considered one of the healthiest vegetables because of their nutrition content – a medium-sized sweet potato contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin A, nearly a third the vitamin C you need, almost 15 percent of your daily dietary fiber intake, and 10 percent of the necessary potassium. They also pack about four times the recommended daily allowance of beta carotene, an antioxidant shown to have anticancer properties.
2. They’re full of antioxidants
Antioxidants are abundant in sweet potatoes, which have anti-inflammatory properties. The antioxidants help to lessen and then repair damage caused by free radical exchanges. With the added boost from Vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes are also an excellent food for those suffering from arthritis or asthma.
3. They’re versatile
Sweet potatoes are versatile as a side dish or a dessert. They blend well with many spices, such as cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, orange flavoring and even pepper. Cook them by boiling, baking, microwaving, sauteing, or cooking on a charcoal grill. Sweet potatoes are easy to incorporate into any diet plan. Find delicious recipes like Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Pumpkin Sauce, or Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake using LIVESTRONG.COM’s Recipes tool.
4. They’re low in calories
When baked in its skin without butter or oil, one medium sweet potato (5 inches long and 2 inches in diameter) is only 103 calories! Plus, sweet potatoes contain no fat or cholesterol, so they’re heart-healthy, too. It’s easy to reap the nutritional benefits from these vegetables without packing on the pounds. Try adding sweet potato puree to smoothies, or cutting them into strips and lightly seasoning before baking.
© 2011, LIVESTRONG.COM
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
