by Pat Lunsford

Created on: August 13, 2008

Sweet potatoes are absolutely loaded with nutrition and considered to be one of nature's most perfect vegetables. Packed with beta carotene and vitamin A, one serving of sweet potatoes provides more beta carotene than 23 cups of broccoli!

One daily serving of sweet potatoes per day can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and even cancer. A nutritious diet should include complex carbohydrates, provide several important nutrients, be low in fat, and high in fiber. And at just over a hundred calories, one sweet potato has more fiber than a cup of oatmeal!

Microwaved, boiled, baked, steamed, or grilled, sweet potatoes have a sweet, pumpkin-like flavor that compliments most any meat dish. They were once thought of as a holiday vegetable but news is spreading quickly about this near-perfect vegetable and more and more people are incorporating them into their daily diet.

The high fiber content of sweet potatoes significantly reduces the risk of constipation thereby lowering the risk of disorders such as diverticulitis and colon-related problems. They have been found very effective in helping to fight obesity as the fiber in sweet potatoes produce a feeling of being full. Moreover, sweet potatoes are a very healthy choice for diabetic because they have a low glycemic index.

Carrots were once considered the best source of beta carotene, but the sweet potato has taken the crown. One cup of sweet potatoes contain a whopping 30mg of beta carotene. In addition, they are rich in potassium which is important in maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance.

This fat-free, cholesterol-free, nutrient-packed root vegetable is one of nature's best and can be prepared a number of ways including:

- sweet potato pie
- sweet potato bread
- sweet potato mashed potatoes
- sweet potato pancakes
- baked sweet potato fries

For a simple side with a meal, they can be microwaved whole (with or without the skin) and eaten plain or with butter. Baking them in a conventional oven is another method. Popular methods include a sprinkle of brown sugar with cinnamon or nutmeg.

The "Jesus diet" is a new trend in healthy eating due in part to the book, "What Would Jesus Eat?" In researching the origin of sweet potatoes and the possibility that Jesus might've eaten them, I got no results. Therefore, I don't know if the Savior ate sweet potatoes or not.

However, considering the fact that sweet potatoes have been rated the most nutritious of all vegetables with no fat or cholesterol, if they were available

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