Clean Eating Sweet Potato Butter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to eat sweet potatoes? ›

Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.

They're a good source of vitamin A.

A word to the wise: Vitamin A is fat-soluble, so Brissette suggests eating your sweet potato with a tablespoon of butter or EVOO to help your bod better absorb the vitamin.

For a topping, stick to butter, Greek yogurt, or sour cream, or try adding a dollop of cilantro lime dressing, tzatziki, chipotle sauce, pesto, guacamole, or a drizzle of tahini sauce. If you have leftover baked sweet potatoes, save the soft flesh for another recipe.

From its high levels of fiber and antioxidants for gut health to its support of healthy brain function, there's already a lot to love about the vegetable. If you want to avoid the harmful effects of pesticides, consider adding more sweet potatoes to your diet. (Or any produce off the Clean 15 list, for that matter).

Eating a sweet potato post-workout is ideal as they contain copper, which can help replenish energy levels and protect the cardiovascular, nervous and skeletal system. It also strengthens the tendons needed to lift weights. Just one cup of baked sweet potato contains 36% of your daily copper needs.

If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.

Sweet potatoes are rich in oxalate content and can result in the formation of kidney stones. Consuming sweet potatoes in excess can result in sweet potato side effects such as Vitamin A toxicity, which is manifested in skin rashes and headaches.

However, there is no one specific "best" time to eat sweet potatoes for weight loss. It is more important to focus on the overall balance and timing of your meals throughout the day. Some experts recommend eating a small, balanced meal or snack every 3-4 hours to help regulate blood sugar levels and prevent overeating.

Of the thousands of vegetables available today, sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious. The orange- (or sometimes purple) fleshed vegetables are loaded with minerals and A, B, and C vitamins. This has led to sweet potatoes being called a superfood by many.

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

What brings out the flavor of sweet potatoes? ›

The potatoes themselves get a rich, almost toffee-like complexity due to the slow roasting. Adding butter that's been cooked down until its milk solids just begin to turn brown and nutty accentuates that flavor even more. Some folks like to add cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to their sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potatoes

Plus, their high fiber content helps protect the body from free radical damage and supports a healthy digestive tract, which is critical in the body's natural detox process.

Sweet potato skins are rich in oxalates. This means that if you are high risk of kidney stones, you may need to limit your consumption. In rare cases, excessive consumption of vitamin A can lead to vitamin A toxicity.

The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes has been shown to fight inflammation, and eating them regularly can help ease joint pain and other symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. If you're looking for a delicious way to reduce inflammation, add some sweet potatoes to a salad or bake alongside protein!

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Although cooking sweet potatoes slightly reduces their beta carotene content according to some older studies, they still retain at least 70% of this nutrient and are considered an excellent source ( 33 , 34 ).

The Bottom Line

You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.