7 Tips and Tricks for Preparing Sweet Potatoes if You Have Diabetes
If you have diabetes, you can eat sweet potatoes daily — as long as you factor the vegetable’scarbohydratecount into your meal planning. “Sweet potatoes are a source of carbohydrates, which raise blood sugars,” says White. “People with diabetes can eat carbs but need to watch portions of foods with carbs.” What this means: Limit portions to half a sweet potato per meal or snack. Then pair that portion with aprotein source, such as chicken breast or eggs, to further stabilize blood glucose levels, advises Zanini.
Now go ahead and try these ideas for preparing sweet potatoes, from culinary dietitians around the country.
Add sweet potatoes to a smoothie.“I add cooked sweet-potato pieces to a smoothie with ½ of a small banana for sweetness, yogurt for a boost of protein, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and ginger or pumpkin spice for an added aromatic flavor,” says Tracee Yablon Brenner, RDN, a certified holistic health counselor and the author ofSimple Foods for Busy Families.
Top it with nut butter and fruit.This is a go-to forMarisa Moore, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Atlanta. Just heat up half a baked sweet potato in the toaster oven or microwave, then add a dollop of peanut butter and a few sliced freshgrapes, she suggests. If you’re having this for breakfast, serve with a side of scrambled eggs for extra protein.
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Make sweet-potato toast.“I love cutting sweet potatoes into thin slices and toasting them to makesweet potato toast, says Abbey Sharp, RD, a registered dietitian in Toronto. “You can then top them with any of your favorite healthy high-protein toppings.” Trycottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, or eggs.
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Eat a baked potato side.Flavor half a baked sweet potato with chipotle pepper for sweet and spicy flair, suggests Moore. Or roll baked sweet ’tater pieces in nuts and seeds. Try a mixture of chopped pecans, walnuts, hemp seeds, andcinnamon, suggests Yablon Brenner.
Mash ’em.To cut down on added sugar, Yablon Brenner suggests mashing cooked sweet potatoes with diabetes-friendly seasonings like cinnamon and ginger. “The cinnamon brings out the sweetness in the sweet potatoes,” she says. “Mashed sweet potatoes are a delicious side, as well as a breakfast dish when combined with yogurt, nuts, or nut butter.”
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Create a sweet potato bowl.Cube half a cooked sweet potato, then add it to a bowl with black beans, ½ cup of cookedquinoa, and sautéed spinach, suggests Toby Amidor, RD, of New York City, the author ofThe Healthy Meal Prep Cookbook.
Add ’em to soup.“Soups are nourishing, and sweet potatoes add a creamy texture and sweetness to soup,” says Yablon Brenner, whose favorite sweet potato soup is made with red lentils, carrots, onions, and a variety of spices and herbs.
