Sweet Potatoes - Okay, or Poison in a Spud?
I hearted Linda's other posts so I thought I'd continue by posing a question I've been pondering lately. Are sweet potatoes to be disdained along with white potatoes and pastas or do they have redeeming value as a good carb?
I am not a hard-core no carbs gal - I just strive for a good balance at every meal. I've found GI success in really limiting my intake of "made" foods like crackers, cereals, etc. and I do try to stack my grains around breakfast and lunch (being an a.m. worker-outer). And I generally cut out the white potatoes and pasta stuff because I've heard that they spike your blood sugar, are quick burning, have little nutritional value, etc. Okay.
But I luh-huh-huv baked sweet potatoes, especially right when they're finishing up in the oven and all that sweet brown liquid starts to ooze out...mmmmm, heaven. I get confused as whether I need to think of these as belonging in the potato/pasta camp or not. What's the verdict?
PS I considered naming this post "Crystal Light - Okay, or Poison in a Powder" but the reality is I DON'T WANT TO KNOW!!!
Comments
I hope not, I love them as french fries!!! I though any veggie of bright colors were good??? Well, I didn't take much heed to the diet soda thing, so if this bad too I'm not doing a good job in the nutrition dept.
Dan
HA! Love this theme!
How can sweet potatoes be anything but good for you? Right????
Love 'em!
I know your blood sugar rises a lot less eating a sweet tater as opposed to a white one. I believe they are low on the GL scale. They're packed with nutrients and fiber (almost 40 percent of which is soluble fiber, the kind that helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol). They are packed deep with carotenoids, orange and yellow pigments that play a role in helping the body respond to insulin. All good, right?
BUT, if I am not mistaken, the Paleo people have sweet potatoes on the "foods to avoid" list. OTOH< Primal says they're fine. This is where I get hung up on these "diets." I think they're good for you, nutritionists think so, but not some adherents to various ways of eating. I get so confused. (See my coconut oil question!
) Hope a Paleo follower checks in in and explains why.
Aside--for me, since I was diagnosed with hypothyroidim, sweet potatoes are now on the "limited quanity" food list. Seems they fall into the "goitrogens" category that can impede thyroid function. As does broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, etc. In the words of my son, "All the foods you live on, mom." I have to make sure all those foods are cooked at the very least--not an issue with the tater, but nothing like a good broccoli salad in the summer.
not that I know much of anything but what I read in Runners World - but according to them, for endurance runners, at least, potatoes (white or sweet) get a bad rap -- lots of good nutrients for recovery, etc. That said, it would be bad to load them down with butter and sour cream OR to deep fry them, etc... personally, I slice them, brush them with olive oil, and throw them on the grill with my chx or fish. Mmmm...
I'm thinking they're okay in moderation as a healthy carb - same with brown rice and whole grain pasta (I found a brown rice pasta at trader joes that's not bad, I also like hodgsen mill whole wheat with milled flax) - we do need to replenish some carbs, after all. But the plate should be 1/2 fruits veggies, 1/4 lean protein, and 1/4 good carb. Staying away from the processed stuff is a very good plan. I can't swear off cereal, though... love my kashi goLean crunch! But I do have oatmeal or eggs sometimes...
Our clinical dietician recommends them! I eat them!
Sweet Potato Ranks Number One In Nutrition
According to nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the single most important dietary change for most people, including children, would be to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes.
CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more than 100 points. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher the score, the more nutritious the food.
Sweet potato baked 184
Potato, baked 83
Spinach 76
Kale 55
Mixed Vegetables 52
Broccoli 52
Winter Squash, Baked 44
Brussels Sprouts 37
Cabbage, Raw 34
Green Peas 33
Carrot 30
Okra 30
Corn on the Cob 27
Tomato 27
Green Pepper 26
Cauliflower 25
Artichoke 24
Romaine Lettuce 24
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington D.C. copyright 1992
The reasons the sweet potato took first place? Dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. The sweet potato received a score of 184; the vegetable ranked in second place was more than 100 points behind with a score of 83.
The numbers for the nutritional sweet potato speak for themselves: almost twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, 42 percent of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene, and, when eaten with the skin, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits with only about 130 to 160 calories!
Sweet Potato Nutrition Facts
(for one medium size sweet potato)
Calories 130
Fat 0.39 g
Protein 2.15 g
Net Carbs 31.56 g
Dietary Fiber 3.9 g
Calcium 28.6 mg
Sodium 16.9 mg
Potassium 265.2 mg
Folate 18.2 mcg
Vitamin C 29.51 mg
Vitamin A 26081.9 IU
Source: US Department of Agriculture
Among root vegetables, sweet potatoes offer the lowest glycemic index rating. That's because the sweet potato digests slowly, causing a gradual rise in blood sugar so you feel satisfied longer. It's time to move sweet potatoes to the "good" carb list. Many of the most popular diets these days have already.