Thanksgiving it a time when we tend to blow our diets. So I am trying to find healthy alternatives to those holiday staples. Recently, I posted a recipe for my vegan green bean casserole. Here now is my healthy candied yams. These healthy candied yams got the thumbs up from my non vegan in laws. I hope you like it too.
Before starting this recipe, I thought that sweet potatoes and yams were pretty much the same. After doing some research, I found they are actually quite different. Yams are much sweeter with a darker flesh than sweet potatoes. That is probably why they work so well in this dish
I made this recipe with only one yam because I wasn’t sure how it would taste. Feel free to double this.
Thanksgiving it a time when we tend to blow our diets. So I am trying to find healthy alternatives to those holiday staples. Recently, I posted a recipe for my vegan green bean casserole. Here now is my healthy candied yams. These healthy candied yams got the thumbs up from my non vegan in laws. I hope you like it too.
I made this recipe with only one yam because I wasn’t sure how it would taste. Feel free to double this.
Before starting this recipe, I thought that sweet potatoes and yams were pretty much the same. After doing some research, I found they are actually quite different. Yams are much sweeter with a darker flesh than sweet potatoes. That is probably why they work so well in this dish
When picking out varieties at the supermarket, the intensity of the yellow or orange flesh color of the sweet potato is directly correlated to its nutritional content, so the more intense the better. Though if you really want intensity, sweet potato varieties don’t just range from white to yellow and orange, but from pink to deep purple. The natural pigments that cause these colors may have special anticancer effects.
Make sure to keep the skin on, though. The peel of a sweet potato has nearly ten times the antioxidant power as the flesh (an antioxidant capacity comparable to that of blueberries). However, the peel’s nutrition really takes a hit when baked, which wipes out over two thirds of the antioxidants, whereas microwaving or boiling are comparatively much gentler. The same is true for the rest of the sweet potato. 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.
What is the best way to cook sweet potatoes? Boiling may actually retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. If we compare baking to boiling microscopically, boiling helps thin out the cell walls and gelatinize the starch, which may enhance the bioavailability of nutrients. At the same time, the glycemic index of boiled sweet potatoes was found to be about half that of baking or roasting, so boiled sweet potatoes give us less of a blood sugar spike.
I previously talked about the cancer fighting properties of sweet potatoes (See Anti-Cancer Potential of Sweet Potato Proteins) and what would happen if you centered your diet around them (The Okinawa Diet: Living to 100). It seems that the only potential downside to eating too many sweet potatoes is that you could get yellow palms (or nose as you can see in the video, The Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes), a harmless condition called “carotenemia.” Caused by elevated levels of beta carotene in the blood, it was first noticed a century ago when carrots were introduced into infant diets. It’s treated mostly by just reassuring parents that it’s harmless, but if we don’t want our child’s nose to be yellow, we can decrease their beta carotene intake and in a few months it will be gone.
Boiling may theoretically be best, but sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy that the actual best way to prepare them is whichever way will get you to eat the most of them! The exception is deep frying, which can lead to the formation of acrylamide, a potential human carcinogen.
The Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes
FAQ
Is it healthier to bake or boil yams?
What is the most nutritious way to cook sweet potatoes?
Does boiling yams lose nutrients?
Is it healthier to bake or microwave a sweet potato?
What do you do with boiled yams?
For side dishes, they’re often boiled or baked (peeled or unpeeled). They can be added to soups, stews, and braises. Sometimes, boiled yams are mashed to serve as a side dish or an ingredient in quick breads and pies. Read on for instructions on how to cook yams in various ways so you can enjoy them in your favorite recipes.
Is yam good for losing weight?
Yam can be a great root vegetable to eat if you are trying to lose weight. Although it is high in carbohydrates, it has a low glycemic index, so the sugar from the yam will be released slowly in your body. This is good because it gives you sustained energy and will keep you fuller for longer. If you want to lose weight these are great properties for a food to have. Remember that weight loss depends on consuming fewer calories than your body burns in a day.
How do you cook baked yams?
Here’s how to make baked yams whole: Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub yams thoroughly with a vegetable brush, then pat dry. Prick the yams with a fork. Bake 40 to 60 minutes, or until tender. Place each baked yam inside a kitchen towel. Gently roll to soften the flesh. Cut an X on the top of each, and press the skin to push the flesh upward.
Are yams healthy?
However, yams are less sweet and more starchy. They have a distinct brown, bark-like exterior. The flesh can be white, yellow, purple, or pink depending on the maturity of the yam. These tubers are highly nutritious, versatile, and may benefit your health in many ways. Here are 11 health and nutrition benefits of yams. 1. Packed with nutrition