Potatoes, Sweet

Sweet potatoes and yams are often confused with the other. Altough, if you purchase a yam in the supermarket, it is likely that it is actually a sweet potato, even if it isn’t labeled as such. A true jam is actually nothing like a sweet potato: large and thick, a yam is a tuber of a plant and can grow up to 2.5 meters in length and weigh up to 150 pounds (70 kg ).

A sweet potato on the other hand is an engorged storage root. They look like large, reddish potatoes with an orange-like inside. However similar, the sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato.

Sweet potatoes grow in warm, tropical climates. They contain very high levels of beta carotene (vitamin A) as well as complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins A, C, and vitamin B6. The sweet potato is actually very nutritious and ranks higher than most other vegetables when comparing nutritional value.

Sweet potato pie is a common sweet potato dish. This vegetable is also suitable to enjoy in soups and stews, as well as baked and roasted.

A serving size is about 1/2 cup baked or the size of a baseball or small apple.