Fascinating Facts - Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet potatoes are a healthy and nutritious food, relatively low in calories with about 114 calories in a one-cup serving of raw, cubed potato.
- Sweet potatoes boast over 400 types, with the skin ranging from pale cream to dark purple. Yellows and oranges are common and the meat of the tuber grows within the same range. Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, fiber, B vitamins, potassium and even iron.
- Low in sodium and containing natural sugars, sweet potato packs 2g of protein per 1 cup raw serving.
- A medium sized sweet potato contains more than your daily requirement of vitamin A, nearly a third the vitamin C you need, almost 15 percent of your daily dietary fiber intake and 10 percent of the necessary potassium.
- Diabetics can eat sweet potatoes without worry as these tubers have a low glycemic index.
- The sweet potato is digested at a slower rate which causes blood sugar levels to rise slowly, keeping hunger away longer.
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams are unrelated.
- Choose tubers that have smooth skin and no breaks.
- The sweet potato should be firm and smell earthy and mild.
- Sweet potato nutrition facts speak for themselves, boasting the advantages of incorporating this healthy and versatile vegetable into your diet.