Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes go great with collards.

A Dozen Sweet Potato Facts

1. The Center for Science in the Public Interest rated the sweet potato as number one in nutritional value of common vegetables.
2. The Nutrition Action Health Letter rated 58 vegetables by adding the percentages of US
Recommended Daily Allowances for Vitamins A and C, folate, iron, copper, calcium, and fiber. The sweet potato won.
3. A sweet potato is a great source of vitamin E, although it is fat free. Other great sources of vitamin E, such as oils, nuts, and avocadoes, are loaded with fat.
4. A sweet potato is a source of Vitamin B6, potassium, and iron.
5. Sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal.
6. A medium sweet potato has only 118 calories.
7. The deeper colored sweet potatoes have the most nutritional value and usually the best taste.
8. Storing sweet potatoes in the refrigerator will produce a hard core in the centers. Store them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated container at approximately 55°.
9. A cook should use sweet potatoes within two weeks of purchase.
10. One should handle sweet potatoes carefully to prevent bruising.
11. The peeling is a better source of nutrients than the inside.
12. Cooked sweet potatoes freeze well.

(Reference source for sweet potato facts: Susan M. Morgan. “How Sweet It Is”: Sweet Potatoes—A Fall Favorite” North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, North Carolina State University. Pp 1-3.)