Savory Sweet Potato Swaps
One of the healthiest vegetables you can add into your diet is sweet potatoes. In fact, they provide better-for-you nutrients than the standard potato.
These starchy treats are high in fiber that help with digestion and complex carbohydrates. Sweet potatoes are also a good supply of beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin B, vitamin C, manganese, and free-radical fighting antioxidants.
Boiling vs. Baking
Boiling is probably the easiest way to prepare sweet potatoes, but the least interesting flavor-wise. If you are looking for an extra nutrient kick leave the skins on when you boil the sweet potatoes. They won’t be as creamy and smooth when you mash them, but they will more than make up for the lack of aesthetic with extra health benefits.
Baking is also easy and requires very little effort depending on if you bake the potato whole or cut it up into smaller pieces. Once again you can get extra nutritional value if you leave the skins. Added bonus is the texture—crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.
Five Healthy Recipes
Just click on the recipe names for some healthy and delicious goodness to add to your regular meal rotation.
1. Sweet Potato “Toast” with Avocado, Spinach, Prosciutto and Poached Egg. Looking for a new twist on breakfast? This take on the ever popular Avocado Toast could be your new favorite way to start the day. Not only is it packed with nutrients between the sweet potato, avocado, spinach and egg, but it is also gluten-free friendly.
2. Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash. A delicious mix of sweet potato, kale, bacon, onion and bell peppers you are sure to be full and satisfied for a productive day. Add a few eggs and you have a winner on your hands that is sure to be a big hit and healthy to boot.
3. Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Calling all our Italian food lovers! This classic dish got a reboot using sweet potato smothered in a sage walnut pesto. Not only is this gluten-free friendly, it fits within the confines of the Paleo diet (but obviously you don’t have to be actively either to enjoy this). Perfect for fall or winter when you want all the comfort, but to still be healthy too.
4. BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. This dish makes a great lunch or dinner and hits all the right notes. Simply bake a few sweet potatoes, stuff with shredded chicken in your favorite BBQ sauce and top with onion and cilantro for a flavorful, healthy kick.
5. Curly Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Aioli. We’d be remiss if we didn’t include sweet potato fries because, well, FRIES! Being based out of Utah we also really appreciate a good dipping sauce too. Just cut, season up and bake for a delicious treat and zero guilt because you are getting a boat load of vitamins and nutrients.