7 Ways to Prepare the Healthy Sweet Potato

Sugar has a serious impact on your health.

If you want to live a healthier life then sugar must be the first thing to go. Sugar excites the nervous system, which in turn releases Insulin, the fat storage hormone.

Eat too much sugar and you put a strain on your hormonal system, and exhaust your body. If ever you experience crashes of energy this is usually due to a delay response to excess sugar.

One way to give up sugar is to eat foods that still taste sweet but have a much healthier impact on the body.

Sweet Potato is a great example of one of these foods and much healthier than the regular potato.

Sweet potatoes, often mistakenly called yams, are high in fibre, low on the Glycemic Index (meaning the sugar is slow releasing), high in Vitamin C and A.

Sweet Potatoes are actually not related to the regular potato at all. Sweet potatoes grow in hot climates and are a root whereas regular potatoes come from colder climates and are a tuber.

Try to buy Organic Sweet Potatoes so you can eat the skin, store them in a cool dry place and in a paper bag rather than plastic.

Now you know how great Sweet Potatoes are for you here are 7 Ways to Prepare them so they don’t get boring:

# 1 – Bake

Just like regular potatoes Sweet potatoes make a great Baked Potato. During the baking process the Sweet Potato will release all its sugars so this is a way to increase the sweetness of the potato. Prick the potato with a folk and place in an oven for around 60 minutes on a medium to high heat. You can then eat them on their own or fill them with a variety of fillings.

# 2 – Grate

Ever tried raw Sweet Potato? It’s fresh and tastes delicious. First peel the sweet potato and then using a grate add them to salads. You can also add them grated to a frying pan while cooking an omelette or to make hash browns or a Rosti.

# 3 – Roast

One of my favourite ways to consume sweet potatoes. Peel your sweet potato, if it’s not organic and then slice into wedges. Place on a baking tray and roast in the oven with some coconut oil for approx 30 minutes. I like to serve mine with fresh lime juice and some lime zest.

# 4 – Steam

Very easy to do and leaves the sweet potato with a nice fresh taste. Cut the sweet potato into large cubes and place in the steamer for approx 15 – 20 minutes. Once steamed you can add salt and pepper and eat as a side dish. Another option is to mash them and make your own houmous. One other option is to add stock and blend them into a sweet potato soup.

# 5 – Boil

I’m not a great advocate of boiling vegetables unless they are being boiled as part of a soup or stock. Boiling vegetables releases a lot of the nutrients into the water so you will want to use the water afterwards. Cut up the sweet potato into large cubes and add to vegetable soups or stews.

# 6 – Saute

Another of my favourite methods of cooking sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potato into thin strips and saute in some coconut oil or butter in a  frying pan. The thinner the strips the quicker the sweet potato will cook.

# 7 – Grill or Barbecue

Ever made your own kebabs? Sweet potatoes will make an excellent addition to any kebab skewer. Cut into large cubes and added to your kebabs.

If you haven’t tried sweet potatoes then now is the time. With so many health benefits and lots of versatility you can’t go wrong.

Find out more here about how to eat and drink the healthy way