Sweet potatoes. If your main exposure to sweet potatoes is mashed up and topped with marshmallows, I'm sorry for you. If they remind you of Thanksgiving or a church basement and you’d like to try a new way to serve them, read on.
These root vegetables (not actually related to regular potatoes) are naturally sweet and taste similar to winter squash or pumpkin. They’re one of my favorite foods (and my toddler loves them too!).
Tasty Ways to Prepare Sweet Potatoes
I like to dice up sweet potatoes, toss them with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook them in my air fryer for 22 minutes at 375 °F. These air fryer sweet potatoes are also great with cinnamon or cumin.
Pair sweet potatoes with avocado, try them with beets and blue cheese, or put them in a wrap with black beans and cheddar cheese. Add them to a salad or a curry. Make a favorite dessert from the Southern US—a sweet potato pie. Or cut them in long strips as sweet potato fries or in tiny bites as home fries for breakfast. So many ways to enjoy sweet potatoes!
Mix of sweet and white potatoes served with avocado, black beans, and brown rice, all topped with a tahini sauce.
Sweet Potato Nutrition and Health Benefits
High in several vitamins and nutrients, especially vitamin A, sweet potatoes can be part of a nutritious diet. They contain fiber and antioxidants that may support heart health and help reduce inflammation. Boiling sweet potatoes instead of baking them may also result in a lower glycemic index, meaning a slower rise in blood sugar. Purple sweet potatoes contain anthocyanins, antioxidants that researchers are studying for their potential health benefits.
Sweet Potato Facts
Archaeologists found evidence of sweet potatoes being grown by humans thousands of years ago in Peru as well as in Polynesia (which is also interesting because it raises questions about potential early contact between South Americans and Pacific Islanders!).
Sweet potatoes grow best in warm climates with plenty of sun and well-draining soil (alas, locally grown sweet potatoes are one thing I miss in Northern Maine. I loved getting them from the farmer’s market in New Orleans!)
Sweet potatoes make a great early food for babies with their soft texture and so many nutrients. For serving recommendations by age, I recommend Solid Starts (linked below),
Next time you go to the grocery store, stock up on some sweet potatoes and enjoy!
Resource Links
A Brief History of the Sweet Potato | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Can Babies Eat Sweet Potato? - First Foods - Solid Starts
Thanks for reading!
💜
Laura
