Trend alert: Sweet potatoes are the new cauliflower

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of fibre and beta-carotene (the precursor to Vitamin A), low in fat and high in antioxidants (particularly in their skins), and they're about to dethrone cauliflower as everyone’s favourite superfood. Like cauliflower — whose price fluctuations last winter sent everyone into a tailspin — sweet potatoes function as a wholesome starch substitute, but they're even more versatile: they can be used to replace fats, starches and sugar. Popular examples cropping up include:

Toast: Throw a sweet potato slice in the toaster (cooked twice for an extra crispy texture), and use it as a base for trendy toppers like avocado, eggs, nut butters and other sources of fat that help the body absorb the veg’s abundant supply of beta-carotene.

A photo posted by Family Meals by a Foodie | NYC (@thisishowimomdotcom) on Jun 13, 2016 at 11:46am PDT

Rich crusts: Sweet potatoes mixed with cheese and your preferred nut flour take pies, quiches and pizzas from fatty and simple-carb laden, to protein-packed, gluten-free, fibre-filled and nutrient-rich.

A photo posted by Cecilie Lykke (@cecilielykke) on Apr 18, 2016 at 2:18am PDT

Ice cream: Social media is rich with wild flavour trends, and sweet potato may just be one of the tamer ones. At Toronto's The Dirty Bird Chicken + Waffles, they serve it up between two mini waffles, topped with crushed candied pecans. (Okay, so it's not exactly a health food…but it sure looks delicious.)

A photo posted by Tiffany (@leftbanked) on Jun 20, 2015 at 8:54am PDT

Interested? Start sweetening things up at home with Chatelaine’s savoury sweet potato yogurt (it will knock your socks off).

More:
Skyr yogurt: The next Greek yogurt
Quebec corner stores get a healthy makeover
Pasture-raised pork: The next big thing at the meat counter