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