Walking down the street, you can see roasted sweet potatoes everywhere, and the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes in the air is very tempting. What are the benefits of sweet potatoes for the human body? What should you pay attention to when eating sweet potatoes?
Sweet potatoes have three major nutritional highlights. Sweet potatoes are typical high-potassium, low-sodium foods, and their dietary fiber content is very high, much higher than that of napa cabbage, which also seems to have fibers. Moreover, the vitamin C content in fresh sweet potatoes is even higher than that of tomatoes and apples. It is both heat-resistant and water-resistant, and is not easily lost during processing.
Different "hearts" have different nutritional strengths. The carotene content in red and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes is higher, which is more beneficial for protecting vision; the crude fiber content in white-fleshed sweet potatoes is high, and the sugar content is 4% to 5% higher than that of red and yellow-fleshed ones, making the taste sweeter; purple-fleshed sweet potatoes have higher selenium and anthocyanin content, making them a veritable antioxidant expert.
Although sweet potatoes are good, you should also pay attention to a few things.
When eating sweet potatoes, don't forget to reduce your staple food intake. The carbohydrates and energy in sweet potatoes are almost equivalent to the same amount of rice, so if you eat two liang (about 100g) of sweet potatoes, you should eat two liang less rice. Moreover, eating too many sweet potatoes can easily produce a large amount of carbon dioxide gas in the gastrointestinal tract, causing bloating and belching. When eating it as a staple food, it is recommended to consume 100-200 grams.
Be cautious about eating sweet potatoes on an empty stomach. People with weak gastrointestinal functions may experience a large secretion of gastric acid when eating sweet potatoes on an empty stomach, leading to abdominal discomfort. For people with normal gastrointestinal function, the impact is not significant. It is best to eat them while they are hot after being heated at a high temperature. People with gastric ulcers or highly acidic chronic gastritis should eat less to avoid worsening their condition.
Pair sweet potatoes with the right dishes. Eating sweet potatoes alone lacks protein and lipids. It is best to pair them with vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich foods to avoid nutritional imbalance. For example, when eating sweet potatoes, you can also eat a little less pork, which can promote the absorption of fat-soluble beta-carotene and vitamin E; you can also pair them with some salty dishes, which can not only adjust the taste but also reduce stomach acid and relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
Sweet Potato Porridge to Avoid Bloating
Boil sweet potato porridge. If you are worried about bloating from eating sweet potatoes, you can cook them with millet or glutinous rice to make porridge, which can relieve the discomfort.
Steam or boil sweet potatoes. Soak the sweet potatoes in salt water for 10 minutes before steaming or boiling, which can reduce the effect of oxidase and decrease bloating.
Roast sweet potatoes. You can use a microwave or oven to make roasted sweet potatoes at home, which is safer than store-bought ones. Roasted sweet potatoes have a higher sugar content and taste sweeter. Moreover, when carbohydrates are heated above 120°C, they produce aromatic substances, a temperature that steaming and boiling cannot reach.
In addition, you can also make pan-fried sweet potato slices, sweet potato vermicelli soup, desserts, or stir-fry them alone. There are also dishes like braised pork with sweet potatoes and sweet potato meatballs, but these are higher in calories.