Incorporating sweet potatoes into your diet

There are many reasons to incorporate sweet potatoes into your weekly meal plan.  In some cases they can be used in place of empty carbs such as pasta, or in place of less nutrient dense russet potatoes.  Sweet potatoes are high in vitamins B6, C and D. They also contain important minerals such as iron, magnesium and potassium.  People in our office often ask about ways to increase dietary potassium to combat leg cramping and this is a great source.  Another added benefit of sweet potatoes is they contain natural sugars that release slowly into the bloodstream.  This will help fight sugar spikes that are linked to energy crashing and weight gain.

Sweet potatoes are also great because they can be prepared in many different ways and they are relatively inexpensive.  They are great baked, diced and roasted or sauteed or our favorite preparation spiralized. Using a spiralizer is a great way to incorporate sweet potatoes into dishes that might normally contain pasta.  Some of our favorites are found in our meal plans.  I have used both a hand held spiralizer and a counter top version and I must say I prefer the counter top version by far.  It is quicker, easier to use and has more cutting varieties.  The model we have can be found cheapest here on amazon spiralizer.