Sweet Potatoes, New Info to Me

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Chief Longwind Of The North

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I thoroughly enjoy sweet potatoes. They are nutritious, taste great, and are easy to prepare. Just pop 'em in the oven, right? Not if you're diabetic.

I've checked numerous sites for both the glycemic load and glycemic index for sweet potatoes, and they are medium load values, which makes them a good choice for diabetics. But hold the phone. Whether they are good for you or not depends on how they are prepared, and I'm not talking a casserole dish of sweet spuds with orange juice, all covered with melted and browned marshmallows!

When sweet potatoes are baked, the natural starches in the tuber transform into sugar, and more importantly, the available fiber is not available to the body. The humble sweet potato rises to the top of the glycemic index and loads, yup, close to pure sugar.

When sweet potatoes are boiled, the starch remains starchy, and the soluble fiber jells, which then causes both the complex carbs, and the simple carbs to absorb into the body very slowly. That's when the sweet spud becomes a powerhouse of nutrition, with medium-low impact on blood sugar. Also, the sweet potato gets some of its sweet favor from a compound called inulin, which doesn't affect blood sugar, and is a pre-biotic that feeds gut flora, making the good microbes in your gut healthier.

So go ahead and enjoy sweet potatoes. Just boil them rather than bake them.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
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That's interesting Chief. Especially to see how the nutritional make up changes depending how they are cooked.

I notice we have fresh sweet potatoes year round the last several years, not just for holidays anymore. And, the other day I saw them in 5 lb bags instead of singular or by the lb.
 
Hmmm. I wonder how they work diced and used in place of potatoes in a stew. I like to turnips that way, but sweet potatoes? Gonna have to try it.
 
I have long used diced sweet potatoes in place of carrots in soups and stews, for those who thought they did not like carrots. And the sweet potatoes really do taste better than carrots.
 
I love sweet potatoes - wonder if steaming would produce the same/similar effect as boiling?


Eat anything you want, but make it yourself.

Posting from the app.
 
That's interesting Chief. Especially to see how the nutritional make up changes depending how they are cooked...

I'm guessing it's the temperature level. With boiling, the temperature never exceeds 212ºF. With baking it goes higher. The higher heat triggers the chemical change.
 
If it's the temperature, as Andy surmised, steaming is a higher temperature than boiling - around 250 degrees. So - not sure :LOL:

Steam at atmospheric pressure is 212F. If they are steamed in a steamer then same temp as boiling. If steamed in a pressure cooker (or rice cooker) then the temp will be higher.
 
I have long used diced sweet potatoes in place of carrots in soups and stews, for those who thought they did not like carrots. And the sweet potatoes really do taste better than carrots.

What a wonderful idea! It would never have occured to me. Carrots are not mu favorite but I use them when a recipe calls for them. Next time I'll try sweet potatoes instead. Thanks!
 
Hmmm. I wonder how they work diced and used in place of potatoes in a stew. I like to turnips that way, but sweet potatoes? Gonna have to try it.


If you are the "pizza ananas" type. Then give it a try. But you could cook them in the oven, just vegi mix with some meat. Or like chips... or instead of carrots :LOL::LOL:
 
Well they are renewing glycemic index with a new study, it few years to go, but who know maybe sweet potatoes will be safe again.

'The glycemic index study was made by test subjects not being allowed to eat anything and then being allowed to eat one item and then measured. How ever they have found out now when you combine stuff you get totally different results in some cases. So who knows in the future might be only allowed to bake sweet potatoes if you eat them with tuna.
 
Well they are renewing glycemic index with a new study, it few years to go, but who know maybe sweet potatoes will be safe again.

'The glycemic index study was made by test subjects not being allowed to eat anything and then being allowed to eat one item and then measured. How ever they have found out now when you combine stuff you get totally different results in some cases. So who knows in the future might be only allowed to bake sweet potatoes if you eat them with tuna.

That's typical. Eating protein with carbs slows down the absorption of the carbs.
 
Well, Chief, they are called sweet potatoes for a reason.... I agree that when baked well they turn into delicious sugar bombs.

I agree that diabetics, or folks cautious about glycemic index might do very well to be cautious of this tuber.

We are very non-typical, and I don't want to inspire envy, but the doctor told us that my Beloved Wife and I both could stand to gain about five pounds each. One of the reasons I like sweet potatoes is they have a great caloric punch. When I am able to make a fire they are a great camping food. (they don't do well on a propane stove, unfortunately). If you give them the cooking time, they have a great weight to caloric load ratio.

And, of course, marshmallows on top helps enormously.

Cheers!
TBS
 
Sweet potatoes, plain, for me, are slightly better than Brussels sprouts, which I don't consider a food, just an an annoying side dish that's inedible. Sweet potatoes with marshmallows are no longer food. They're just icky.
 
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