# Sweet Potatoes, New Info to Me



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 6, 2016)

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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## Whiskadoodle (Jun 6, 2016)

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.


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## skilletlicker (Jun 7, 2016)

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.


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## bethzaring (Jun 7, 2016)

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.


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## Jeni78 (Jun 7, 2016)

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.


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## Steve Kroll (Jun 7, 2016)

I'm diabetic, but I can't eat sweet potatoes. They spike my blood sugar like nobody's business!


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## Andy M. (Jun 7, 2016)

Whiskadoodle said:


> 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.


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## GotGarlic (Jun 7, 2016)

Jeni78 said:


> I love sweet potatoes - wonder if steaming would produce the same/similar effect as boiling?



If it's the temperature, as Andy surmised, steaming is a higher temperature than boiling - around 250 degrees. So - not sure


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## powerplantop (Jun 7, 2016)

GotGarlic said:


> If it's the temperature, as Andy surmised, steaming is a higher temperature than boiling - around 250 degrees. So - not sure



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.


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## LizStreithorst (Jun 7, 2016)

bethzaring said:


> 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!


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## IrinaUrsu (Oct 7, 2016)

skilletlicker said:


> 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


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## dragnlaw (Oct 8, 2016)

*BUT I LIKE THEM BAKED!!! *

 ​


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## CakePoet (Oct 8, 2016)

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.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 8, 2016)

CakePoet said:


> 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.


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## CakePoet (Oct 8, 2016)

Well GotGarlic, we can always hope its chocolate and marshmallows.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 8, 2016)

CakePoet said:


> Well GotGarlic, we can always hope its chocolate and marshmallows.



Sugar and sugar?


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## CakePoet (Oct 8, 2016)

GotGarlic: It was a joke.


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## GotGarlic (Oct 8, 2016)

Oops


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## erehweslefox (Oct 14, 2016)

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


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## Dawgluver (Oct 14, 2016)

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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## erehweslefox (Oct 14, 2016)

Alright, we are all friends here correct? You will forgive me for doing some savage unmentionable things with good food?

I'm going to share with you a sweet potato recipe that is perhaps unorthodox. It is a camping recipe, and as I have said, sweet potatoes are good on the calorie/weight ratio. 

So we start with a half pound of sweet potatoes, peel them, cut them into disks. 

Here is where we get dicey. Make a marinade of 1 cup cider vinegar, three cloves garlic diced, some salt, pepper and oregano. 

just because squeeze a lemon into this mess.

leave the disks in this overnight, then wrap them tightly in tin foil if at home, 30 minutes at 350 in the oven. If in the field, throw them in the fire.

To make it formal, ingredient list:

1/2 pound sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into disks
1 cup cider vinegar
3-4 cloves garlic, diced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
1 tsp oregano
One lemon

This requires GOOD tin foil, Reynolds heavy duty, not the off brand from the dollar store. 

TBS


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## Cheryl J (Oct 14, 2016)

I love them thick sliced, tossed with a little olive oil and *cinnamon*, and high heat roasted.


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## Addie (Oct 14, 2016)

I love sweet potatoes. With a big pat of butter and salt. But being diabetic, I only eat a half one or a very small one. I am very aware of the high sugar content.


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## RPCookin (Oct 14, 2016)

For me, just baked and then seasoned with butter, salt and pepper.  Although I could do with some weight watching, I still have one occasionally.


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## msmofet (Oct 14, 2016)

Carbs eaten with a fat of some sort also slows the sugar spikes. It was explained to me that the fat encases the sugar which then is slowly released into the bloodstream.


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## taxlady (Oct 16, 2016)

Dawgluver said:


> 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.


I'm 98% with you here. I just happen to like Brussels sprouts. At least now people don't get insulted that I don't like sweet potatoes. I'm not supposed to eat them because they are estrogenic. Such a terrible loss, not.


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## dragnlaw (Oct 16, 2016)

too bad...  soo sad... 

I just happen to like sweet potatoes and I LOVE Brussels!  

Your loss, send them to me!


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