Along with exercise, eating a balanced and nutritious diet is one of the best things we can do to stay healthy. And one of the building blocks of a healthy diet is to eat more fruit and veg. Health experts recommend we have at least five portions each day, yet many of us still struggle to reach this. The good news is it's easier than you think. Trying fruit and veg you wouldn't normally pick, adds variety and colour to your diet - and boosts intakes of different nutrients.
Enter the sweet potato! Research shows only 44% of us buy sweet
potatoes, and many of us aren't aware of their nutritional value or
are unsure how to cook them. So check out these reasons for adding
them to your diet…
Sweet potatoes help you on your way to
5-a-day
Just 80g counts as one of your 5-a-day, whether you choose to have
it mashed, steamed, roasted or added to dishes like soups, stews,
salads or curries.
Sweet potatoes are naturally low in fat
An 80g serving of boiled sweet potato contains 0.2g fat - that's
just 3% of the maximum daily amount recommended by health experts.
They're also free from saturated fat.
Sweet potatoes are high in fibre
Health experts recommend we eat 18g fibre a day for good health,
yet research shows that on average, adults in the UK tend to have
less than 14g a day.1 An 80g serving of boiled sweet potato
provides around 10% of the fibre adults need each day.
They're low in salt
Providing you don't add salt to sweet potatoes when you cook or
serve them, sweet potatoes are naturally low in salt. Great news,
as too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, a condition that
affects around one in three men and women in the UK.2
Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamin A
Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, which the body
converts into vitamin A. This vitamin has many vital roles in the
body, including helping to keep our immune system functioning
normally. It's also an essential vitamin for maintaining normal
vision and is important for skin. Unfortunately, many of us fail to
get enough vitamin A in our diets, especially children and
teenagers. Research reveals that 12% of boys and 13% of girls aged
11-18 years have seriously low intakes of vitamin A.1 Sweet
potatoes can really help to boost intakes. An 80g serving of boiled
sweet potato, provides a massive 66% of our daily needs.
Sweet potatoes contain vitamin C
An 80g serving of boiled sweet potatoes provides 17% of our daily
needs for vitamin C. That's great news as this vitamin has many
important parts to play in keeping us healthy. It's needed for the
normal functioning of the nervous system and immune system. Having
enough can also help us feel less tired and fatigued. It's needed
to make collagen, a component of bones, skin and cartilage. It
helps our bodies absorb iron from plant foods. And, it helps to
protect cells in the body from oxidative damage.
Sweet potatoes provide potassium
Potassium is an important nutrient that helps to maintain normal
blood pressure. It's also needed to ensure our nerves and muscles
function normally. Around one in six of us have really low levels
of potassium in our diets so could do with eating more foods rich
in this nutrient.1 An 80g serving of boiled sweet potato provides
12% of our daily needs for potassium.
Sweet potatoes are a source of manganese
It's not a nutrient many of us have heard of, but it's needed in
tiny amounts to keep us healthy. Like vitamin C, manganese helps to
protect cells from oxidative damage. It's also important for normal
bone and to make connective tissue, which holds the cells of our
body together. And it helps to release energy in our body. An 80g
serving of boiled sweet potatoes provides 16% of our daily needs
for manganese.
Sweet potatoes are really versatile
Sweet potatoes can be cooked in lots of different ways. They're
great boiled or steamed and are perfect for mashing - try using
them to top cottage pie instead of regular mash. They're also
delicious roasted with a little olive oil and maybe a few herbs
such as rosemary or basil if you have them - perfect for adding to
pasta dishes or salads. You can also use them to make chunky chips
or wedges - there's no need to peel them, just give them a good
scrub. And they make a delicious puree that's perfect for weaning
babies. Sweet potatoes are great included in dishes, too. Try
adding chunks to curries, stews, soups, casseroles or pasta sauces.
They can even be eaten raw, so try grating them and adding to a
salad or mixing into coleslaw.
Sweet potatoes taste delicious
Not only are sweet potatoes a nutritious veg, but they also taste
delicious. Their sweet taste makes them a hit with children and
adults, alike.
So make them one of your 5-a-day!
|
Per 80g serving of boiled sweet potato |
% of the Recommended Daily Amount * |
Energy (kcal) |
67 |
|
Protein (g) |
0.9 |
|
Fat (g) |
0.2 |
|
Saturates (g) |
0.1 |
|
Carbohydrate (g) |
16.4 |
|
Sugars (g) |
9.3 |
|
Fibre (g) |
1.9 |
|
Salt (g) |
0.1 |
|
Potassium (mg) |
240 |
12 |
Phosphorus (mg) |
40 |
6 |
Magnesium (mg) |
36 |
10 |
Iron (mg) |
0.6 |
4 |
Copper (mg) |
0.1 |
11 |
Manganese (mg) |
0.3 |
16 |
Vitamin A (mcg) |
528 |
66 |
Vitamin C (mg) |
14 |
17 |
Vitamin B1 (mg) |
0.06 |
5 |
Vitanmin B3 (mg) |
0.4 |
3 |
Vitamin B6 (mg) |
0.04 |
3 |
Folic acid (mcg) |
6 |
3 |
Pantothenic acid (mcg) |
0.4 |
7 |
* Where values are missing, there is no RDA for that nutrient
Potato or vegetable?
When it comes to 5-a-day, many people get confused about
whether sweet potatoes should count. In theory, like regular spuds,
they're classified as a starchy food. However, the Department of
Health agree that unlike regular potatoes - which definitely don't
count as one of your 5-a-day - sweet potatoes do count towards
5-a-day because they're usually eaten in addition to the starchy
food part of a meal.3
Did you know?
Adding a little fat to sweet potatoes may help the body to absorb
more of their beta-carotene. So try roasting them in, or mashing
them with a little olive oil! 4
References
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The Sweet Potato Spirit Company has won the Best New Artisan Beverage category in the World Food Innovation Awards 2016. The range is made exclusively using Scott Farms sweet potatoes.
We're very excited to tell you about a project we've been involved in. Our very own Scott Farms sweet potatoes are being used exclusively in a newly launched range of artisan spirits from The Sweet Potato Spirit Company. A great stocking filler...