Sweet potato is a tuber-bearing plant of the Bindweed family, whose edible tubers are also known as sweet potatoes. It has nothing to do with potatoes. And the Colorado potato beetle doesn’t eat it.
The homeland of sweet potato is Colombia and Peru, where the plant began to be used more than 800 thousand years ago. Sweet potatoes have elongated cylindrical tubers, the weight of which varies from 200 grams to 3 kg. Sweet potato pulp is dense, juicy, and elastic, cream, pink, yellow, orange, or red. The taste of the pulp is slightly sweet, reminiscent of carrots, pumpkin, or frozen potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are divided into three types: dessert, fodder, and vegetable.
Calorie sweet potato (yam)
The calorie content of sweet potato (sweet potato) is 61 kcal per 100 grams of the product.
Composition and useful properties of sweet potato
Sweet potatoes contain dietary fiber that is not digested in the stomach and is excreted from the body along with toxins and toxins. Sweet potato contains beta-carotene, vitamins A, and C – a natural antioxidant necessary to give elasticity to collagen, as well as the minerals calcium, iron, and phosphorus, which strengthen the body’s defenses.
Sweet potatoes contain a lot of starch, so it is recommended to use it as an enveloping agent for various diseases of the digestive tract. Also, sweet potato can be consumed by people who have diabetes, as it blocks the rapid entry of glucose into the blood.
People who play sports need to add root vegetables to their diet, as this product contains complex carbohydrates. Studies show that sweet potato helps bodybuilders reduce pain and muscle spasms.
Sweet potato harm
The use of sweet potatoes should be limited in the presence of peptic ulcers, especially in the acute stage. In rare cases, individual intolerance to sweet potatoes is possible.
Selecting and storing sweet potatoes
When choosing a sweet potato, visually assess the condition of the tuber, which should be dry, heavy, and firm, without dark spots and signs of damage. Sweet potatoes lack eyes, so any growths or growths on the surface of the sweet potato should be a reason not to buy.
Dry sweet potato tubers are stored in a cool place without light for several months.
sweet potatoes in cooking
The sweet potato differs from the potato in many ways. Sweet potatoes are much healthier than regular potatoes, containing more carbohydrates, iron, and potassium than a regular potato (calorizator). Also, due to the presence of protein in the root crop, it can stay fresh for a long time.
Sweet potatoes are best consumed fresh, finely chopped or grated, and added to a vegetable salad. Sweet potatoes are boiled, steamed, baked, and fried, soups, mashed potatoes, and soufflés are prepared from it. It turns out very tasty soup-puree.
If you are going to bake a sweet potato, a white-colored tuber is most suitable for this. Dark-colored tubers are best suited for frying and boiling.
Sweet potatoes can be replaced with several products in a particular recipe. It is also recommended to replace sweet potatoes with carrots in raw or boiled form. In vegetable salads, second courses, the best substitute for a sweet root vegetable is ordinary boiled potatoes .
Sweet potatoes (yam) in cosmetology
The use of sweet potatoes improves the condition of the skin. In home cosmetology, sweet potato is used to prepare therapeutic masks for facial skin against acne, age spots and acne.
It is recommended for use by women over 50 years of age, as it contains phytoestrogens that normalize hormonal balance.
Sweet potatoes for weight loss
Sweet potato is recommended to be used in nutrition during diets, because it contains starch, which is characterized by low GI, which contributes to rapid and long-term satiety, and a decrease in appetite. And the indigestible fiber contained in sweet potato helps cleanse the intestines of toxins and toxins, as mentioned above.
Several diets have been developed by nutritionists that include sweet potatoes, and all of them are designed for a different number of days.
For more on sweet potatoes, see the video “Sweet Potatoes” of the TV show “Live Healthy!”.