Sweet potatoes are considered starchy vegetables. According to the Mayo Clinic, 4 ounces or ½ of a sweet potato is approximately one starchy vegetable on the exchange list. Sweet potatoes are definitely okay to include in your diet.
Reasons to Eat Sweet Potatoes:
* Fat free, which will make following a low fat diet easier
* Great source of fiber, which will help keep you fully satisfied and may also help lower your blood cholesterol
* Great source of potassium, and vitamin B6, which helps with improvement of energy metabolism to improving cognitive performance
* Great source of beta carotene, which is a precursor to vitamin A and helps the immune system’s response to sickness and disease
GREAT SOURCE OF VITAMIN C!
Sweet potatoes are definitely my favorite complex carbohydrate. You can include them as your pre-workout snack, a side dish to your favorite protein and veggies, or as a dessert. Desserts tend to be the hardest thing for me to avoid when I start a low-fat diet. I have found that trading in cheesecake for sweet potatoes is a great way to satisfy my sweet tooth with much fewer calories.
A slice of cheesecake can be filled with 500-600 calories and up to 40 grams of fat. One half of a sweet potato is filled with approximately 125 calories and is non-fat. A great dessert idea for sweet potatoes is to peel them, dice them up, throw them in a Ziploc steamer bag or boil them, and then mash them up. Add a few sprinkles of cinnamon, because it will help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Mix in 1-2 tablespoons of crushed walnuts or pecans, because they are filled with just enough healthy fats. Top it off with one tablespoon of Fat-Free or Sugar-Free Cool Whip, because it’s a delicious topping. Voila, you have a guilt-free delicious sweet dessert that fills you up and helps you lose weight!
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