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Sweet Potatoes: More Than Just Sweet

  • Writer: FibonacciMD
    FibonacciMD
  • 21 hours ago
  • 5 min read

Updated: 6 minutes ago

Sweet potatoes are so much more than just a holiday side dish!

Sweet potatoes are a year-round nutritional powerhouse packed with more than 100% of your daily Vitamin A and plenty of gut-healthy fiber.

Culinary Medicine


sweet potato

Sweet potatoes can add vibrant orange color to an otherwise monochromatic Thanksgiving dinner, but did you know that they are also a nutritional powerhouse? Some say they are the healthiest part of your holiday meal. Sweet potatoes are a staple in many cultures around the world and have grown in popularity in the United States as consumers learn more about their versatility and nutritional benefits. [1,2]


The Roots of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. They were brought to Europe by Spanish explorers and then spread across the globe. Like white potatoes they are a root vegetable, but botanically the two are not related. Sweet potatoes are colorful; their smooth skin can be tan, light purple, or red and the flesh may be creamy white, yellow, orange, or even purple.[3]  Sweet potatoes are classified as either soft or firm. The soft variety becomes soft and moist when cooked and works well for mashed potatoes and soups.  Firm sweet potatoes are better for boiling or frying because they hold their shape. Most of the sweet potatoes available in U.S. grocery stores are of the soft Beauregard variety; they have a coppery, red-colored skin and bright orange flesh. They are sweeter than the “firm” varieties, which have yellow or white flesh.[4]


Sweet potatoes are usually harvested in early fall and are then cured before distribution. The curing process involves storing them in warm, humid conditions for a few weeks; it improves their shelf life by allowing the skin to toughen and cuts and bruises that occurred during harvest to heal. Curing also activates enzymes that break down some of the starch into sugar, giving the potatoes their characteristic sweetness.[5]


Sweet Potatoes or Yams?

While often confused, sweet potatoes and yams are distinct vegetables; they are botanically and nutritionally different. Yams are native to Africa, where 95% of this crop is grown. They have a dark, thick, scaly skin and are not nearly as sweet as sweet potatoes. Nutritionally they are higher in calories and potassium but lower in vitamin A than sweet potatoes.[6] You are unlikely to encounter a real yam in a US grocery store; most of what we call yams are actually sweet potatoes. This name confusion is thought to have started in the southern U.S. when slave populations began calling sweet potatoes yams because of their familiarity with the actual yams they had consumed in Africa.[6] Today, the USDA allows sweet potatoes to be labelled as yams as long as they also include ‘sweet potatoes’ on the packaging. True yams are not usually found in your grocery store but can be purchased in international or Caribbean markets.[6]


Nutritional and Health Benefits 

Sweet potatoes are a starchy vegetable that provides many nutritional pluses. An average sweet potato has about 110 Calories, 26 grams of carbohydrate, 2 grams of protein, and almost no fat.  Despite their name, a sweet potato has only about 5 grams of naturally occurring sugar.  They are high in fiber – a serving provides 4 grams of fiber. Including this high fiber vegetable in our diet helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome.[7] Fiber also slows the digestion of the sugars in sweet potatoes, preventing spikes in blood glucose levels, making them helpful in managing diabetes. [8]


Sweet potatoes are also a reliable source of vitamin B6 and the minerals potassium and magnesium, which tend to be low in the modern diet. The most significant nutritional contribution of sweet potatoes is vitamin A; one sweet potato provides more than 100% of a day’s recommended intake. Vitamin A is essential for healthy vision and immune function. The vitamin A in sweet potatoes comes from beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a yellow orange pigment that gives the potatoes their signature color and can be converted to vitamin A in the body. The brighter the orange color, the more beta-carotene in your sweet potato. Beta-carotene is also a phytochemical that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Purple sweet potatoes are a source of another group of antioxidant phytochemicals, anthocyanins. These have been found to slow the growth of certain types of cancer cells as well as support the growth of heathy bacteria in the gut microbiome.[9,10]


savor some baked sweet potatoes

Savor Some Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a versatile vegetable. They can be roasted, boiled, fried, or baked. They make a sophisticated side dish roasted with olive oil and rosemary, or a hearty breakfast in a hash made with peppers and eggs. If you prefer a sweeter dish, mash them and add some cinnamon.



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Diced, roasted sweet potatoes can be made ahead of time and added to soups, smoothies, salads, or grain bowls. They feature prominently in traditional dishes from the southern United States, such as candied “yams,” sweet potato casserole, and sweet potato pie. Sweet potatoes are a nutrient-rich choice that can be a healthy, wholesome addition to meals year-round.





Check out this great recipe with sweet potatoes: Sweet Potato Grain Bowl Recipe

Mary Recommends

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Make healthy "Sweet Potato Noodles" for soups and low-carb pasta alternatives with the powerful Brieftons 5-Blade Vegetable Spiralizer. [https://amzn.to/49977jl]

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