What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato plus healing benefits and recipes.
I am often asked if a yam is the same as a sweet potato. Despite what we have been told, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing! The majority of the orange potatoes at your local market are sweet potatoes, not yams.
Yes, both are root vegetables, but that’s where the similarities end! Yams are actually related to lilies. They vary from small to extremely large in size, and have a dark skin with white or reddish-purple starchy flesh. They’re also hard to find and therefore not usually in all supermarkets.
Sweet potatoes also range in color and size and are not always orange! Sweet potato skins can be light (think: white or yellow) to dark (think: reddish purple to brown) .The flesh inside is can range from orange to even white or yellow. The two most common varieties that you’ll find in your local grocery store are firm (lighter flesh) or soft (orange flesh).
Does it matter, for my health, if I eat one versus the other?
The good news: both yams and sweet potatoes are nutrient-dense, low fat foods. Most of the differences are subtle; yams are slightly lower-calorie, but sweet potatoes have slightly more nutrients and a little more protein. They are both good sources of carbohydrate and fiber, but sweet potatoes have a bit more of each. Where they really differ: the amount of vitamin A in sweet potatoes far outweighs what’s in yams and are far healthier than the white potato (a whopping 400% of your recommended daily requirement of vitamin A!), Vitamin A is particularly good for our eye health.
Just in case you are not convinced to make the switch to those pretty potatoes, here are four more reasons to include a yam or a sweet potato in your diet.
- Anti-cancer: Proteins in sweet potatoes may contain cancer-fighting properties
- High fiber: Women need approximately 25gm of fiber a day, and men need approximately 35gm. A medium-sized sweet potato with its’ skin on has approximately a whopping 6gm of fiber.
- Phytonutrient dense: Sweet potatoes are loaded with potassium, which is important for maintaining blood pressure.
- Sweet potatoes are relatively inexpensive, and with such a high nutrient content, making them one of the best bargains out there.
We love healing recipes. Check out our Twice Baked Sweet Potato with Creamy Avocado Dressing or for a Yam Smoothie that tastes like chocolate ice cream check out our Yam Cacao Smoothie. Dress up your collard greens with our Sweet Potato Collard Wrap.
