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What Are the Benefits of Sweet Potatoes? Delicious Recipes to Try.

Sweet potatoes - a nutritional powerhouse, packed with complex carbohydrates and essential vitamins. Today, we delve into the world of this vibrant vegetable, exploring the myriad benefits and delicious ways to incorporate it into your diet.

Administrator

10 August, 2024

Sweet potatoes are a nutritious and delicious vegetable that can be prepared in a variety of ways and offer numerous health benefits. Read on to learn more about this versatile root vegetable.

1Types of Sweet Potatoes

Purple Sweet Potato

Purple sweet potatoes, or Solanum andigenum, are herbaceous plants with underground tubers. The tubers are elongated, with a purple, light yellow, black, or white skin depending on the variety. The flesh is typically a deep purple color.

The size of purple sweet potatoes can vary depending on the cultivar, but they generally have a buttery texture, a mild sweetness, and a subtle aroma, making them a popular choice for many.

Reference price for purple sweet potatoes: 25,000 – 30,000 VND/kg.

Yellow-Fleshed Sweet Potato (also known as Orange Sweet Potato)

Yellow-Fleshed Sweet Potato

The yellow-fleshed sweet potato, also known as the orange sweet potato due to its vibrant orange flesh, has a darker skin and a longer shape than the purple variety. It is characterized by its thin skin, which tends to peel off when steamed or boiled.

When cooked, the flesh becomes soft, mushy, and exudes a sweet syrup, although it is not as starchy as other types of sweet potatoes. It can be challenging to distinguish between the many varieties of sweet potatoes, so careful observation is necessary to select the desired type.

Reference price for yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes: 25,000 – 30,000 VND/kg.

White Sweet Potato

The white sweet potato, or Ipomoea batatas, has a thin, white skin similar to other sweet potato varieties. Its shape is elongated but shorter than the yellow-fleshed type.

White sweet potatoes have a sweeter taste than purple ones and are higher in starch content. When boiled, the skin tends to peel off on its own.

Reference price for white sweet potatoes: 10,000 – 15,000 VND/kg.

Golden Sweet Potato

Golden sweet potatoes have a yellow or orange flesh, which can be easily mistaken for the yellow-fleshed variety. They have a smoother skin compared to other types, with a long and slender shape.

When steamed or boiled, golden sweet potatoes become soft and sweeter than the other varieties, without becoming mushy, and have a delicate aroma.

Reference price for golden sweet potatoes: 25,000 – 30,000 VND/kg.

2Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

Benefits of Purple Sweet Potatoes

Purple sweet potatoes are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Beyond their nutritional value, they offer surprising health benefits.

Some of these benefits include: weight loss support due to their low starch and calorie content, blood pressure reduction, improved asthma symptoms, and a healthier gut.

Benefits of White Sweet Potatoes

White sweet potatoes are a nutrient-dense food, containing vitamins A, B6, C, and E, as well as iron and potassium. Despite their low cost, they offer a plethora of health benefits.

Some of these benefits include: improved cardiovascular function, digestive support and relief from constipation, healthier skin, and reduced stress levels.

Benefits of Golden Sweet Potatoes

Golden sweet potatoes are high in natural sugars and have an appealing aroma. They are also a rich source of carotenoids, which convert to vitamin A in the human body. As a result, they offer the following benefits:

Protection against vitamin A deficiency, which is essential for maintaining healthy vision.
The high content of Alpha-carotene in golden sweet potatoes provides cardiovascular and cancer-fighting benefits.

Benefits of Sweet Potatoes for Children

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of nutrients, especially vitamin A and beta-carotene, offering health benefits for both adults and children. Pediatricians recommend including sweet potatoes in a child’s diet during weaning to support their growth and development.

Some of the benefits for children include: boosted immune system, prevention of constipation, and provision of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A.

3Delicious Sweet Potato Recipes

Sweet Potato Snacks

In addition to boiling, steaming, and grilling, sweet potatoes can be transformed into a variety of nutritious dishes. Some mouthwatering examples include: sweet potato cheese shakes, sweet potato balls, sweet potato candy, and sweet potato corn pudding. Be sure to bookmark these recipes to treat your family and friends!

4Beauty Tips with Sweet Potatoes

Beauty Tips with Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients such as vitamins A, B, C, and protein, making them beneficial for both health and skin care. They can be incorporated into beauty routines in various ways, such as sweet potato face masks and exfoliants.

5Precautions when Preparing and Eating Sweet Potatoes

Precautions when Eating Sweet Potatoes

Individuals with certain conditions should refrain from consuming large amounts of sweet potatoes

People with kidney disease
Those with poor digestion
Individuals with a weak stomach

Avoid the following when consuming sweet potatoes

Do not eat raw sweet potatoes or those with black spots.
Avoid eating sweet potatoes late at night before bed.
Refrain from eating sweet potatoes on an empty stomach.
Do not consume sweet potatoes in combination with hawthorn.

6How Many Calories are in Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet Potatoes for Weight Loss

One crucial aspect of weight loss is consuming foods with low calorie content. Sweet potatoes fit this criterion and can be enjoyed at any time, making them an ideal snack.

According to statistics, 100 grams of sweet potatoes contain only 119 calories. However, to avoid weight gain and promote weight loss, it is recommended to consume sweet potatoes by boiling, steaming, or grilling them.

7How to Choose Delicious Sweet Potatoes

Choosing Delicious Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes come in a diverse range of varieties, each with its unique sweetness, starch content, and other characteristics. Therefore, it is essential to select the right type to create delicious and nutritious dishes.

8How to Eat Sweet Potatoes Properly

How to Eat Sweet Potatoes Properly

While sweet potatoes offer numerous health benefits, it is important to be aware of potential side effects. Eating sweet potatoes in the right way, in the right amount, and at the right time can make it easier to maintain a healthy weight and improve overall health.

Certain foods should not be consumed together with, or too close in time to, sweet potatoes: shrimp, crab, duck, chicken, and pork.

9How to Identify Spoiled Sweet Potatoes

Choosing Fresh Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and beneficial for health, but it is crucial to select fresh and high-quality tubers. Consuming spoiled sweet potatoes can lead to food poisoning and symptoms such as stomach discomfort, loss of appetite, nausea, and dizziness.

10Sweet Potatoes vs. Potatoes: Which is Healthier?

Sweet Potatoes and Potatoes are Both Healthy

Both sweet potatoes and potatoes are nutritious root vegetables that differ in appearance, taste, and nutritional content. They are excellent sources of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates, with unique advantages and disadvantages. However, both are beneficial for health and can be consumed interchangeably.

We hope that this comprehensive guide to sweet potatoes has provided you with the knowledge to select fresh and tasty tubers and discover the many benefits they offer.

Frequently asked questions

Sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, B6, potassium, and fiber. They have a range of health benefits such as improving digestion, boosting immunity, and maintaining a healthy heart. They are also known to regulate blood sugar levels and aid in weight loss.

Sweet potatoes are versatile and can be cooked in a variety of ways. You can bake, boil, steam, or fry them. They can be a great addition to meals such as salads, soups, curries, or even desserts. Some delicious recipes to try include sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and sweet potato brownies.

While sweet potatoes are generally healthy, overconsumption may lead to an excessive intake of vitamin A, which can cause hypervitaminosis A. It is important to maintain a balanced diet and consume sweet potatoes in moderation, especially for pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions. Additionally, green-skinned sweet potatoes or those with sprouted parts should be avoided as they may contain higher levels of toxic compounds.