Their benefits go beyond their sweet flavor

Roasted sweet potatoes, warm or cold, make a flavorful addition to salads.

By Rachel Meltzer Warren

There are many misconceptions about sweet potatoes. First, they aren’t potatoes at all. Potatoes are part of the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, while sweet potatoes are a relative of the morning glory. They aren’t yams either—true yams are starchy vegetables with a barklike skin and are far less sweet.

But it’s believing the myth that sweet potatoes aren’t good for you that could do you the biggest disservice. The words “sweet” and “potato” may conjure up an image of a carb and sugar bomb, when in reality they’re among the most nutritious vegetables you can eat. They’re packed with nutrients that help fight inflammation and enhance immunity. You could go as far as to say that sweet potatoes are fall’s perfect food.

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

There’s more to sweet potatoes than the sugary pies and casseroles served at Thanksgiving. Separate this tasty tuber from the brown sugar and marshmallows often added to them and you have yourself a healthy ingredient that’s also inexpensive and delicious.

“Sweet potatoes are a wonderful way to get natural sweetness along with health benefits,” says Joan Salge Blake, EdD, RDN, a nutrition professor at Boston University.

Sweet potatoes fall into the healthy carb category. A medium sweet potato (eaten with the skin) has around 140 calories and 5 grams of fiber. Sweet potatoes also have a low glycemic index score. “The higher the number on the index, the more rapid one can expect an increase in blood sugar after ingestion of the food,” says Lourdes Castro Mortillaro, MS, director of the NYU Food Lab. Blood sugar spikes may have implications for type 2 diabetes and weight gain risk. Topping your sweet potato with protein- and fat-containing ingredients—say, a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped walnuts or pecans—will help keep blood sugar balanced and, as a bonus, help your body better absorb some of the antioxidants sweet potatoes contain.

Along with the standard orange, sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors—from fiery yellow and reddish to an eye-catching purple. Each type has different nutrients.

Orange sweet potatoes are vitamin and mineral powerhouses. A medium one has 165 percent of the vitamin A you need per day, thanks to the beta-carotene it contains. Vitamin A is a key infection-fighting nutrient. They’re worth eating for that reason alone, but there’s more sweet potato nutrition news: You’ll also get more than 20 percent of your daily need for potassium—a blood-pressure-lowering nutrient most adults fall short on—plus niacin and vitamin C.

Yellow-fleshed varieties supply vitamins A and C and potassium, too. Purple, white, and orange sweet potatoes contain antioxidant compounds called flavonoids that can help control inflammation. Purple sweet potatoes get their color from flavonoids called anthocyanins. Diets rich in these compounds have been linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive problems.

Putting Sweet Potatoes on Your Plate

Cuisines from around the world take advantage of the sweet potato’s benefits. Orange sweet potatoes, for instance, are a staple food in Africa, where they may be served in a peanut stew.

The drier, less sweet, white-fleshed boniato (batata) is more common in the Caribbean, where you may see it served mashed or used in desserts.

Purple sweet potatoes are a main food in the traditional diet of Okinawa, a region known for its high concentration of centenarians. More than half of the daily caloric intake of Okinawan diets comes from sweet potatoes.

In the U.S., next to the traditional Thanksgiving preparations, sweet potato fries and chips are a common way of consuming this vegetable. Though they may be higher in some nutrients than their white potato counterparts, depending on how they’re made, both sweet potato fries and chips can be high in saturated fat and sodium, Salge Blake says. You can make a healthier version at home by cutting sweet potatoes into matchsticks, drizzling them with olive oil, and roasting at 400° F (or you can use an air fryer). For better-for-you chips, slice rounds on a mandoline, drizzle with olive oil, and roast at 400° F.

An even better bet: Focus on healthier prep methods, such as steaming and roasting, to keep this wholesome food nutritious and allow its natural flavors to shine, Castro Mortillaro says. Studies have also shown that these two cooking methods retain more of the sweet potatoes’ antioxidant compounds than frying or microwaving.

Baked sweet potatoes can be a canvas for toppings that easily turn them into a meal. Try them with black beans and a spoonful each of guacamole and salsa in a salad or in a corn tortilla; seasoned with cumin and chili powder and tossed into a grain bowl with chickpeas, farro, and spinach that’s been sautéed with garlic; topped with shredded barbecue chicken and Greek yogurt and chives; or with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a drizzle of tahini.

Soup is another way to enjoy the rich flavor, velvety texture, and health benefits of sweet potatoes. Salge Blake’s recipe calls for roasting them along with acorn squash, onions, and apples. Blended together with low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and water, the sweet potatoes add thickness and depth. “The soup has the consistency of a chowder or a bisque, but it doesn’t have the cream,” she says.

Pumpkin spice fans may want to try adding cooked sweet potatoes into a smoothie along with a few pinches of allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Still, there’s no need to dismiss your holiday tradition. “If melted marshmallows on top of your sweet potatoes is the one dish you look forward to every year, I say have at it,” Castro Mortillaro says. Just know that there are also loads of healthier ways to enjoy sweet potatoes year-round.

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