Potatoes are hardly a new addition to the average diet. In fact, tubers like sweet potatoes, potatoes and yams are all dietary staples in various parts of the world. Though often dismissed as unhealthy during the carb-bashing era, dieticians today recognize the value in these delicate treats.

Sweet Potatoes are a cousin of the normal variety of potatoes, and come with their own unique dietary components.

In particular, sweet potatoes offer the following benefits for your body:

Naturally Sweet

For those of us with a sweet tooth, sweet potatoes could be a healthy solution to your cravings. The next time you reach for the ice cream, remember that you can get 7 grams of natural, unrefined sugar from a sweet potato. Additionally, sweet potatoes make for a ton of scrumptious recipes that will change the game!

You can make everything from sweet potato pies, to tarts and pancakes, or even eat them all by themselves!

Low Calorie Content

Get excited, because one sweet potato only contains about 100 calories! Compared to their plain white counterpart which can carry nearly double the amount of calories, sweet potatoes make for a sweet, low fat, low calorie part of your diet.

Bear in mind that anything healthy can be made unhealthy depending on how you eat it! Just like dipping broccoli in ranch or blue cheese negates the nutritional value of the vegetable, eating your sweet potatoes with syrup or loads of oils spoils their value.

There are many nutritious ways to enjoy these treats, so get to snacking! Try adding plain greet yogurt or fresh chopped chives as low-cal additions, or any variety of dry seasonings like cinnamon or rosemary. Most of all, don’t fool yourself into thinking that swapping your French fries with sweet potato fries will be helping you out too much- in both cases you’re taking something healthy and soaking it in salt and fat.

Nutrient Bombs

Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants and nutrients that you need to be healthy. They are one of the best sources of vitamin A out there. Vitamin A helps boost immunity and promotes good eye, skin and bone health. You can also get a fair dose of anti-inflammatory antioxidants.

In addition to being a great source of vitamin C (one baked sweet potato contains about 37% of your daily requirement), which bolsters your immune system,

Sweet potatoes do come in a variety of colors, but keep in mind that the level of antioxidants present is directly correlated to the intensity of the color. So make sure you reach for the rich orange or purple varieties whenever possible!

Fiber for Weight Loss

The value of fiber is not to be underestimated. One medium sized sweet potato (about one cup) contains up to 4 grams of fiber. Making sure you meet your daily quota of fiber is a sure way to help yourself feel full longer, which inevitably leads to you eating less and losing weight.

Easy to Cook

There are so many easy ways to cook sweet potatoes that the options are endless. If you are feeling extra lazy, just pop them in the oven with a little bit of cinnamon and voila, you’ve got a sweet, healthy treat! If you buy them organic, you can eat them skin and all, though you’ll need to bake, seam or sauté it first to soften it up.

For those inclined to get a little fancier, there is an endless variety of recipe options out on the web, so get creative. I personally find sweet mashed potatoes with a little bit of butter and cinnamon to be the perfect sweet treat.

For a comparison of white vs. sweet potatoes, follow this link: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/03/white-potatoes-vs-sweet-potatoes-which-is-healthier/

By Destiny Kanu