Sweet potatoes & yams are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates. That means that they give you sustained energy over many hours, help you fill up & stay satisfied. They are shaped like the pancreas & therefore help you to balance your blood sugar. They have a very low glycemic load when compared with white potatoes, which means they don’t cause blood sugar imbalances like their white cousins.
You can use any kind of yams or Sweet potatoes in the following recipes. Try the Japanese sweet potatoes for a fun change- up! They are white inside, but they are nutritionally dense & taste similar to sweet potatoes. Check out this site for more on the differences between yams & sweet potatoes. What most American markets commonly call a yam is actually a sweet potato! Wow! http://www.sweetpotatoawareness.org/
These 2 recipes are great if you have limited time!
Recipe 1: Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1” – 1 ½” chunks
¼ cup+ almond milk or other non-dairy milk
2 pats grass-fed organic butter, OR vegan butter substitute, i.e. Earth Balance
¼ cup leftover cooking water from potatoes
A few dashes sea salt
Several shakes cinnamon
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a dash of salt with the sweet potatoes & bring back up to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender. Save about ¼ cup, or a little more, of the cooking water. (if you forget this step like I usually do, then a little warm water is a good substitute.)
Drain potatoes. Return to pot. Add milk, water, & butter or butter substitute. Mash with a potato masher or a fork. Add salt & cinnamon, stir well to combine. You may want to put the heat back on for a minute or two to ensure it’s heated through.
Recipe 2: Roasted Savory & Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves 4
Many people coat sweet potatoes with more sweet flavors. These naturally sweet complex carbohydrates help us avert sugar cravings by satisfying our need for sweet foods. So omit the brown sugar & try this versatile spice blend instead: garam masala. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that includes black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, & coriander. Cinnamon also helps balance out your blood sugar & the other spices stock your digestive fire during the cold months.
Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1 ½” – 2” chunks
2 tbsp olive oil, as needed
Several shakes garam masala
Salt to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400◦. Scrub sweet potatoes under running water & cut them into 1 ½” – 2” chunks. Sprinkle baking dish with oil, place sweet potatoes in dish. Add several shakes of garam masala spice & salt to taste. Turn gently. Bake at 400◦ for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so.
Voila! Two delicious side dishes for your Thanksgiving meal or any day of the fall or winter.
Recipe courtesy of Christine Grasso, a Holistic Health & Nutrition Coach, a devoted yogini, & a satisfied customer of Andrea’s. She specializes in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight or with digestive disorders. She helps them eat right for their body type, reduce stress, & have more energy. She leads workshops on holistic health and nutrition, offers individual and group health coaching to women, & teaches yoga. Sign up her exclusive Women’s Wellness Club to trim down your waistline, get more energy, & stop the cycle of stomach pain at www.ChristineGrasso.com. Next meeting on 11/16 – don’t miss out!
This article has been provided courtesy of Morris County, NJ, Real Estate Agent Andrea Martone. For assistance with real estate decisions, buying or selling a home, or a “no obligation market analysis of your home“, contact Andrea at andreamartone@aol.com or (973) 886-2626.
