These Sweet Potato Recipes Are Making Us So Excited for Fall (2024)

FAQs

Is sweet potato a fall food? ›

Fall is the perfect time to change up your potato game and swap your usual white potatoes for sweet potatoes.

The Best Time to Buy Sweet Potatoes

They're available in stores year-round, but are most flavorful in late fall and winter months.

Sweet potatoes are bursting with more beta-carotene than carrots. They are filled with greater amounts of vitamins and minerals than a typical white potato, and provide a unique combination of being low-fat and rich in heart-healthy vitamin E.

Sweet potatoes also contain magnesium, which aids in the production of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which calms nerve activity and helps you relax.

China is the world's biggest producer and consumer of sweetpotato, where it is used for food, animal feed, and processing (as food, starch, and other products).

Because of their higher sugar levels and high vitamin A content, you can likely enjoy them in moderation about two or three times per week. Eating these vegetables too often could lead to too much vitamin A intake or increase the potential for negative effects on your blood sugar.

Sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family, while yams belong to the lily family. Yams aren't as sweet as sweet potatoes, and they are starchier and drier. Their texture and flavor are more similar to potatoes or yuca.

If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.

Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.

What does eating sweet potatoes do to your body? ›

Sweet potatoes can boost your intake of important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Also, sweet potatoes may help with inflammation, blood sugar spikes, and blood pressure. You can get your filling of sweet potatoes in all kinds of dishes, from salty to sweet or a bit of both.

Antioxidants Aplenty

Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are thought to contain super-high levels of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents. As these substances pass through your system, they balance out free radicals -- chemicals that harm your cells.

Sweet potato intolerance

However, sweet potato contains a type of sugar called mannitol that can cause stomach pain, trigger bloating, and diarrhoea. Frequent symptoms after eating sweet potato might suggest that you are intolerant to foods that contain mannitol.

Potatoes Contain Sleep-Supporting Vitamins and Minerals

Think of sweet potatoes like a natural (and delicious) sleep supplement. “They have the right balance of nutrients like potassium and vitamin B6 to stimulate the production of the sleep hormones serotonin and melatonin,” says Scharman Draughon.

Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin B6, which helps turn on serotonin, a “feel good” neurotransmitter in your brain.

Sweet potatoes are a fall crop because they take 100-150 days to mature. They are planted in the spring and harvested late August to early November.

Fall Food Takeaways

Load your bag with the top fall foods: apples, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, dates, kale, pears, pomegranate, pumpkin, squash, and sweet potatoes. Always eat the peel of soft-skinned fruits and veggies to get the most nutrients. And choose organic produce whenever possible!

I have apples, winter squash, pumpkin, cinnamon, candy, pies, chiles, cheese, caramel, chocolate, brussels sprouts, figs, pomegranates, a roast, pastas galore, chips, dips and breakfasts… basically my 75 favorite fall foods. If you are one of those lucky ones still sweating your butt off, congratulations!

This series, “A Connoisseur Speaks on Seasonal Vegetables” details the appeal of seasonal vegetables as seen by connoisseurs. The season for sweet potatoes is said to be from late autumn to winter.