All food contains all of the nutrients we need to be healthy, it is necessary to eat various foods in sufficient amounts. A good diet will include many different foods, and sufficient in quantity and quality to meet an individual’s need for food energy and other micro nutrients.

Honey

Ice Cream

Jams

Jicama

Juices

SWEET POTATOES AND YAMS

Typical serving size:

1 medium sweet potato, cooked (4 oz or 114 g)

WHAT THEY HEAL

High blood pressure Eyes and skin Immunity Heart disease Diabetes Prostate and breast cancer High blood sugar High cholesterol Insulin resistance

QUICK TIP:

Eat the skin You can brush the excess dirt off your sweet potatoes, but don’t take the skin off
When eaten with the skin on, a sweet potato has as much fiber as half a cup of oatmeal, for about 100 calories
SWEET POTATO AND YAM FACTS

Sweet potatoes contain an enzyme that converts most of its starches into sugars as the potato matures
This sweetness continues to increase during storage and when you cook them

Canned sweet potatoes are often labeled yams

Yams derive their name from the Senegalese word fiam, meaning “to eat
” Sweet potatoes are a Native American plant that was the main source of nourishment for early homesteaders and for soldiers during the Revolutionary War
These tuberous roots are among the most nutritious vegetables and are excellent sources of the antioxidants beta-carotine and vitamin C
There are two varieties of sweet potatoes: the pale yellow with a dry flesh and the dark orange with a moist flesh
The dark-orange variety is plumper in shape and somewhat sweeter and moister than the yellow variety
Because most of the nutrients in sweet potatoes are next to the skin, cook them whole whenever possible
Yams and sweet potatoes are very similar and often confused for one another, but they aren’t the same
However, they are interchangeable in most recipes
While sweet potatoes and yams are very healthy if simply cooked, many recipes—such as candied yams or sweet potato fries—pile on butter, sugar, and oil
So avoid these add-ons to get the most nutrition from these sweet tubers

Health Benefits

Lowers blood pressure
Eating sweet potatoes and yams is a smart move if you have high blood pressure
That’s because they’re rich in potassium, a mineral known for bringing pressure down
You’ll get more potassium from a sweet potato than you will from a banana
Keeps skin and eyes healthy
The high levels of beta-carotene in sweet potatoes protect eye health and keep your skin looking great
Guards against infections
Rich in beta-carotene, sweet potatoes and yams may help your body stave off infections
Fights heart disease
Beta-carotene and vitamin C may also help combat heart disease
Avoid diabetes complications
The vitamin C in sweet potatoes protect against complications of diabetes, such as nerve and eye damage
Boosts cancer survival
A recent study found that among almost 2,000 men studied, those whose diets were richest in beta-carotene and vitamin C—two nutrients plentiful in sweet potatoes—were more likely to survive prostate cancer than those whose diets contained little of the two nutrients
Reduces breast cancer risk
The famous Nurses’ Health Study at Harvard Medical School found that women who ate lots of foods rich in beta-carotene, such as sweet potatoes, reduced their risk of breast cancer by as much as 25%
Helps blood sugar and cholesterol
Sweet potatoes are packed with disease-fighting soluble fiber to help lower blood sugar and cholesterol
May reduce insulin resistance
Sweet potatoes are extraordinarily rich in carotenoids, orange and yellow pigments that play a role in helping the body respond to insulin
These tubers are also rich in the natural plant compound chlorogenic acid, which may help reduce insulin resistance

Old School

Sweet potatoes and yams are different names for the same vegetable

New Wisdom

Yams and sweet potatoes are unrelated

Allergies

Bake thick sticks coated with oil and five-spice powder

Add to hash browns

Make a meal of baked sweet potato topped with cooked spinach, ham, and shredded Swiss

Buying Tip

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Choose firm, dark, smooth sweet potatoes or yams without wrinkles, bruises, sprouts, or decay

Even if you cut them away, decayed spots may have already caused the whole vegetable to take on an unpleasant flavor

Storing Tips

To keep sweet potatoes and yams fresh, store them in a dry, cool (55°F to 60°F or 13°C to 15
5°C) place such as a cellar, pantry, or garage
They will keep here for a month or longer

Don’t store them in the refrigerator, because they may develop a hard core and a bad taste

If you keep them at normal room temperature, you should use them within a week of purchase

Don’t wash them until you’re ready to cook them
The moisture from washing will make them spoil faster