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Jun
26
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This post is going to be the start of a series of posts on some boring recipes that I make on a weekly basis. I say boring because I am not a brilliant chef. Matter of fact, most of the time I eat for fuel and sustenance. Many of you may find this a strange way to live but honestly, I have grown quite accustomed to it. My goals may be different from yours. For example: I want to keep my body fat low, I want to have healthy food available to me so I am not left to making unwise choices, I want to save money by not going out to eat all the time, and I don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. Don’t get me wrong, if I had someone cook for me I would be thrilled to eat a variety of selections and have them prepared a number of different ways. However, being a bachelor for quite some time has led me to this style of eating. When I was younger I would eat toast, spaghetti, cereal with milk and heat up a bagel. As a responsible adult now, I am glad that I have finally found healthy foods that I can prep on my own so I don’t have to resort to Lucky Charms, Taco Bell or Villa Pizza.
I hope you find this upcoming series of recipes helpful and maybe even enjoyable.
Sweet Potatoes or Yams
Sweet potatoes and Yams are a couple of the best sources of carbohydrates that you can consume. They will help to keep you blood sugar stable, help satisfy cravings, give you energy, taste good (in my opinion) and they are inexpensive and easy to make.
Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Pink and yellow varieties are high in carotene, the precursor of vitamin A. In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value.
Sweet potato varieties with dark orange flesh have more beta carotene than those with light colored flesh. Despite the name “sweet”, it may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance.
Sweet Potatoes and Yams
- Select potatoes that are about the size of a clenched fist. You can cut them to size of course.
- Select potatoes that are firm and don’t have little sprouts growing on them. Purchase organic at Whole Foods.
- Begin by filling up a large pot with water. Fill pot with quite a bit of water because water evaporates during cooking.
- Place into pot desired number of sweet potatoes or yams. I like to cook 4 at a time. This lasts me 4 days.
- Place temperature on high so potatoes will boil.
- Let potatoes boil on high until they are done cooking.
- Texture is up to you. I like my potatoes very soft so the skin peels off easily.
- Cooking time will vary depending upon size of potatoes (the more width, the longer the cooking time.)
- Remove potatoes from pot (careful…very hot!) Best is to use utensil below pictured below.
- Place the potatoes in Tupperware containers.
- Let cool then store in the fridge for consumption throughout the week.
