Sweet potato: calories, useful properties, cooking recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Recently, you can often hear about the benefits of previously unknown foods. One of these is the sweet potato. The calorie content of this root crop allows it to take its well-deserved place on the tables of everyone who wants to lose weight, but its benefits do not end there. So what is this product?

Origin

The homeland of sweet potato is the territory of present-day Peru and Colombia. The culture grows in its natural environment in the tropics and subtropics, but some manage to get a crop in a temperate climate. Of course, in its homeland, the root crop reaches much larger sizes, and, subject to many years of growth, it can produce tubers up to 10 kg in weight. The fruit ripens in 2-9 months. In a temperate climate, it is unrealistic to achieve such indicators due to frost, and a vegetable can only reach 200-300 grams. Sweet potato grows like a grassy liana and belongs to the genus Ipomoea. Its name was borrowed from the Arawak language.

Today, the largest suppliers of root crops around the world are China, Nigeria, Indonesia and other countries with a suitable climate. It can be problematic to buy sweet potato in Russia, since almost all the crop available on the shelves is imported.

Description

Very often, sweet potatoes are called "sweet potatoes", and indeed, root vegetables have a lot in common. The calorie content of sweet potato and potato is practically the same and outwardly they are very similar. The tubers of a tropical culture can have different shapes and reach a length of 30 cm.

The sweet potato has no eyes, and the sprouts develop from hidden buds. The skin is very tender, has a reddish tint. The flesh of the fruit can be white, pink, orange, red and even purple. A cut of a root crop or tops always exudes milky juice.

Depending on the variety and color of the pulp, the culture is divided into:

• stern;
• vegetable;
• dessert.

The brighter the color of the tubers, the sweeter their flesh will be. White root crops are forage, yellow - to vegetables. Their structure is drier, so it is suitable for preparing second courses and side dishes. Bright varieties of sweet potato - dessert.

Cooking

Dessert sweet potato tastes like melon, pear, pumpkin, banana and nuts at the same time. Marshmallow, chips, marmalade, soufflé and other sweet dishes are prepared from such root crops.

Vegetable variety of tubers is ideal for frying, baking, addition to cereals, meat dishes, cutlets and many other culinary delights.

The calorie content of sweet potato allows you to use it raw withoutfigure damage. Also, the root crop is used to make flour, molasses, sugar and alcohol. Its tops are boiled and soaked to remove juice, after which they are added to salads, and the seeds are used as a coffee substitute.

So why "sweet potatoes"? The calorie content of sweet potato, although raw, is only 60 Kcal, the glucose content in it can reach up to 6%. The high concentration of sweetness gives the root vegetable garnishes a slightly sweet frozen potato flavor, which explains it all.

Chemical composition

In addition to the high concentration of glucose, tubers contain up to 30% starch in the pulp. Also in the composition there are vitamins, minerals, and practically no fat. Carbohydrates in the product occupy approximately 14% of the total weight, and the amount of carotene depends on the color of the pulp. In orange and yellow varieties, the concentration will be many times higher.

So, the calorie content of sweet potato per 100 grams averages 60 kcal raw. For the same tuber weight:

• 80% water;
• 0, 1% organic acids;
• 1, 3% dietary fiber;
• 2% protein;
• 7, 3% starch;
• 1, 2% ash;
• 6% disaccharides and monosaccharides.

In addition, the fruit is rich in B vitamins, carotene, vitamin PP, vitamin K and ascorbic acid. The concentration of the latter allows you to meet 65% of the daily intake of vitamin C with just 1 serving of "sweet potatoes".

Of the mineral s alts present in the composition, most of all in sweet potatoes are potassium, manganese and copper. Less tuberscontain phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, selenium and zinc.

Benefits of sweet potato

In the country that ranks first in the export and cultivation of this vegetable, sweet potato is called the fruit of longevity and is considered to be able to resist cancer cells. It is used as a vitamin and tonic for various diseases due to the high concentration of ascorbic acid. Sweet potato also strengthens the nervous system thanks to potassium, helps to cope with stress, neuroses and insomnia. Vitamin B6 strengthens the walls of blood vessels and restores their elasticity, carotene strengthens eyesight and helps with skin diseases, delicate fiber is recommended for people with digestive disorders.

In addition, the root crop reduces the level of bad cholesterol, activates the kidneys and liver, strengthens the immune system, removes toxins from the body and normalizes metabolism.

The product is especially valuable for women during menopause, as tropical potato tubers are rich in female hormones.

It is not forbidden for diabetics to eat sweet fruit, but it is even useful, because sweet potato does not cause a jump in blood sugar due to its low glycemic index.

The starch of the plant is widely used in medicine as a coating and emollient for diseases of the digestive system.

Slimming benefits

The low calorie content of sweet potato is not its only advantage in dietary nutrition. The content in the root of complexcarbohydrates allows you to maintain energy and vivacity for a long time even during heavy mental and physical stress without harming the figure. This effect is achieved due to the low glycemic index of carbohydrates, which, slowly breaking down, are gradually absorbed immediately into the bloodstream, and are not converted into fat.

Dietary fiber contained in the product is also important for weight loss. Thanks to them, a long-lasting feeling of fullness is provided, the body is cleansed of toxins, the absorption of nutrients improves and bowel function normalizes.

Harm the root crop

A root crop can have a negative effect on the body in the presence of gastric ulcer due to possible irritation of the mucous membrane. It is undesirable to use the product for diverticulosis, diverticulitis and other diseases of the digestive system. During pregnancy and lactation, sweet potato is also not recommended. In rare cases, the oxalate contained in the tubers can provoke the formation of stones in the kidneys and gallbladder, this should be paid attention to with a tendency to nephrolithiasis. A high concentration of sugar is not a contraindication, but only requires control of the amount of the consumed product.

Cooking recipes

The calorie content of cooked sweet potato, regardless of the method, will necessarily be higher than the raw product. Most often, the root crop is baked in the oven. To do this, you don’t even need to cut the tubers, just scrape off the peel a little and put a piece of butter on top. To keep the juicinessproduct, it can be pre-wrapped in foil and baked for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size. The calorie content of baked sweet potato will be approximately 90 kcal.

No less often sweet potato is deep-fried. You can do this in oil or in the oven. Like potatoes, it is recommended to pre-soak sweet straws in water to remove excess starch, then dry and fry in the chosen way. The calorie content of sweet potato will depend on the chosen frying method and the amount of oil.

Also, the vegetable can be grilled, eliminating extra calories, boiled whole, mashed or added to soup. The cooking technology does not differ at all from the potato we are used to, so every housewife will be able to cope with such an outlandish vegetable.