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Of course you know by now that the United Nations declared 2008 to be the International Year of the Potato, explaining that the potato is just a symbol and it's really all about sustainable agriculture, fighting global poverty, and being more environmentally conscious in our food choices. Lots of green bloggers made excited noises, and even BlogHers Act Canada gushed potato love, although mostly they were urging us all to eat more meatless meals, for the sake of the environment and our good health.
I'm good with all these goals that have led to the common potato's surge into the spotlight the last few months, truly I am. I just wish the United Nations had done their homework a bit more on the food angle, because if they had, surely they would have realized that sweet potatoes would have been a better vegetable. And I'm not the only blogger who dared to say out loud that potatoes were an odd choice.
Before I get started making my case, let's be sure everyone knows what I mean by sweet potatoes. There are white-skinned and orange-skinned sweet potatoes. In the U.S. the orange-skinned sweet potatoes are most often called yams or sweet yams, but any yams sold in the U.S. are actually sweet potatoes. Whichever type you pick, sweet potatoes are more nutritious, less fattening, and more interesting than any variety of regular white potatoes. Get those thoughts of Thanksgiving sweet potatoes loaded with butter and brown sugar out of your mind, and consider these facts.
Sweet Potatoes are Highly Nutritious
Compare the nutrition profile of potatoes with the nutrition profile of sweet potatoes and it's clear that sweet potatoes are more nutritious. It is widely reported on the internet that in 1992 The Center for Science in the Public Interest declared the sweet potato to be the most nutritious vegetable, although I could not find the original report online. However, sweet potatoes still top the list of "good foods" in the Nutrition Action Newsletter.
Sweet Potatoes are lower in Calories than Potatoes
According to nutrition data from The World's Healthiest Foods sweet potatoes have only 95 calories per pound, compared with 133 calories per pound for potatoes. More nutrition and less calories; doesn't that have to be a winner?
Sweet Potatoes are Lower on the Glycemic Index than Potatoes
Sweet potatoes become even more appealing when you consider the glycemic index, which is a measure of how quickly food turns to glucose in your blood. Anyone who's eating low glycemic foods, either for weight control or health-related blood sugar issues, should choose low glycemic sweet potatoes over potatoes. (The glycemic index of potatoes varies quite a bit depending on how they're cooked, but in every source I've seen, sweet potatoes are always lower than regular potatoes.)
Sweet Potatoes are Simply Sexier Than Regular Potatoes
Okay, here's where we get into the subjective part of my argument. I'm sure some of you potato-eating people out there will want to debate this one (and feel free to leave your potato recipe links in the comments, and we can let the recipe testers decide.) But the fact is there are so many delicious, interesting, and unusual things people are making these days with sweet potatoes. I'd even go so far as to say that on the food scene, sweet potatoes are really quite trendy.
Try Some Sweet Potato Recipes and See if You're Convinced
Curried Lentils and Sweet Potatoes from Smitten Kitchen
Sweet Potato Pear Soup from Accidental Hedonist
A New Way with Sweet Potatoes from Tigers and Strawberries
Yellow Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Kale from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Maple Ginger Sweet Potatoes from A Veggie Venture
Sweet Potato and Leek Latkes from Gluten Free Bay
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle from Homesick Texan (that's her sweet potatoes photo above.)
Blogher Food Editor Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen. Kalyn truly hopes potato lovers will realize that some parts of this sweet potato protest are purely tongue-in-cheek, and that she supports the right to eat potatoes. However Kalyn herself is truly convinced that sweet potatoes are more nutritious and uses them in dishes like Spicy Sweet Potato Fries and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Red Onions, Rosemary, and Parmesan.
