When the weather gets cool, sweet potatoes get hot — at least for a short time. Sweet potatoes are one of those foods traditionally served at Thanksgiving, and at least among most Americans, rarely eaten the rest of the year. Yet the sweet potato is a wonderful addition to your diet because it is one of the most nutritious foods available — a Superfood.
One medium sweet potato, with its skin on, is full of antioxidants that reduce damage from disease-causing free radicals and inflammation. It’s a great source of vitamin A and a good source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and fiber. They also contain calcium, iron, copper, manganese, and niacin. The fiber helps with gut motility, fullness, insulin sensitivity, and gut microbiome health. A baked, skin-on-medium sweet potato at 100 calories makes it a great choice for weight management, too.
The sweet potato plant is a member of the Morning Glory family and has a leafy vine similar to that of its cousin. It may be a tuberous root like its namesake, the white potato, and is also often confused with the yam, but it is not related to either. 50% of American-grown sweet potatoes are grown in North Carolina and are available year-round.
Varieties of sweet potatoes include rose-colored with orange flesh, copper skin with white flesh, and purple skin with purple flesh. Deeper-colored flesh provides greater antioxidant content. The sweet taste of the sweet potato is a result of an enzyme that converts most of the potato’s starch to sugars as the potato matures. Throughout harvesting, storage and even cooking, the sweetness continues to increase. Though they are sweet tasting, sweet potatoes have a much lower glycemic index and greater antioxidant content compared to white potatoes — good news for persons with diabetes.
Sweet potatoes spoil easily, so store them in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated place at about 50-60 degrees F —perhaps a cellar, pantry, or garage — but never in the refrigerator. They should keep for several weeks at that temperature. But if stored at normal room temperature, they should be used within a week. Don’t wash the potatoes until you are ready to use them because moisture will hasten spoilage.
Sweet potatoes cook in half the time of white potatoes. They are a budget-friendly superfood at $1.00 or less for a medium sweet potato. Sweet potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways — baked, broiled, steamed, microwaved, mashed, candied, and baked into pies and pancakes. They are great-tasting whether eaten plain, hot from the oven, or with a dash of imagination like the following recipe.
Sweet Potato Fries
1 pound sweet potatoes (approx 2 medium size potatoes)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp each of: paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt; mixed together
1-1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F with oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cut the scrubbed sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch wide x 1/4 thick pieces and place into a bowl.
3. Sprinkle the sweet potato fries with cornstarch and toss until coated. Sprinkle a mix of seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt) onto sweet potato fries and toss to coat. Drizzle sweet potato fries with olive oil and toss to coat.
4. Arrange the sweet potato fries between the two baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip the sweet potato fries over to cook and brown on all sides. Return the pans to the oven, changing their rack location. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until crispy. Watch carefully as they can go from crisp to burnt quickly. Serve warm.
Serves 2.
Authors: William Scarpa, Jr., MD & Marianne Ferguson, RD
Marianne Ferguson is a dietitian in Jefferson, NC, and Dr. William Scarpa is a cardiologist at Heart & Vascular – Ashe. To request an appointment with Dr. Scarpa at Heart & Vascular – Ashe, call (828) 264-9664 or visit https://apprhs.org/heartcenter/. Dr. Scarpa is located inside Ashe Memorial Hospital at 200 Hospital Avenue, Segraves Hall 1, in Jefferson, NC.
Read more articles by cardiologist William Scarpa Jr., MD and Marianne in their monthly column, Healthy Living in the High Country. The column is available on our website and is published on the first Wednesday of the month in the Ashe Post & Times, Avery Journal, and the Watauga Democrat.
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