mar 6-12: sweet potato

Orange flesh sweet potatoes, unique to other potato varieties and starchy vegetables, are packed with beta-carotene, which gives them their characteristic bright orange color (1). Beta-carotene, perhaps more commonly known as the plant-derived form of vitamin A, is important in vision development and maintenance, cell growth and maintenance, and as an antioxidant (2, 5).

Although sweet potatoes have a higher glycemic index and load than the previous featured foods, the added benefit of these vegetables having high nutrient density makes them an excellent natural sweetener (1).

According to the Harvard Nutrition Source, cooking sweet potatoes with the skin on helps to keep nutrients, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, from leeching out (1). Additionally, since vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, it has been suggested that eating foods rich in beta-carotene, like sweet potatoes, with a source of fat (such as olive oil or avocado) could increase the ability of the body to absorb the nutrient (3).

Role in physical activity: With vitamins, minerals, and fiber, carbohydrate-rich sweet potatoes are great for fueling an active lifestyle! Sports dietician, Nancy Clark, recommends making extra for a meal and incorporating the leftovers into a preexercise snack (4).

As mentioned above, vitamin A has antioxidant properties, and deficiency could affect oxidative damage and injury susceptibility, thus creating a potential barrier to physical activity (2). Although a supplement of pre-formed vitamin A may seem convenient, the safest and most nutritious way to get vitamin A is by eating a wide range of colorful fruits and vegetables packed with beta-carotene, such as sweet potatoes! (5, 6).