I have to make a public service announcement. My name is Jasmine and I am addicted to Sweet Potatoes. *Everyone says: Hi, Jasmine.* I’ve had this addiction for about a month and a half now, and I can’t remember exactly how it started.
I think it started when I ordered a sweet potato with my lunch a few weeks back from Logan’s Roadhouse. After that, I’ve been buying them by two almost every week. I believe I’ve had sweet potatoes before when I was growing up, but I can’t say for sure. This could be because we had sweet potatoes only twice a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. During this time, my family would drench the “yams” in cinnamon, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Very sweet with a lack of nutrients.
Sweet Potatoes are full of beneficial vitamins and minerals. The orange color of the potato is a signifier of Beta-Carotene. Beta-Carotene, also found in Carrots, assist in vision, and is known as vitamin A.
They are also a very good source of vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. Additionally, they are a good source of potassium, dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and phosphorus.
So why take multivitamins when you could just eat a sweet potato? 😉
I bake my potatoes on 400F for 1 – 1 1/2 Hours (depending on the size). Before placing them in the oven, I stab them with a fork, like you’d do a regular potato, and place them on parchment paper in an oven safe dish. After I’ve noticed some charring toward the bottom and through the holes of the potato, I remove it from the oven, slice it down the middle, and add a small pad of butter, a sprinkle of brown sugar, and 5 dashes of cinnamon.
I won’t always add brown sugar and butter to my potato because I don’t like messing with the natural benefits. Cinnamon, on the other hand, is a great pairing. Not only does it add flavor, it also aids in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels. A win-win.
As y’all can tell, I don’t play about my sweet potato. Someone told me that my addiction could be a signal of my body needing certain minerals, and looking at the vitamins listed above I think I am getting plenty.
I’ve been transitioning from meats and other processed foods for almost a year now. This process can leave the body feeling “deprived,” because it is used to excess sugars and other unnecessary additives. In actuality, you won’t be missing anything. Educating yourself on a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle will help you prevent FOMO.
It’s a process that much I can say. We didn’t get where we are today in one day, so trust the process and yourself.
Do you all have any healthy addictions? Working out? Foods? Leave a comment below, let’s chat.
