Fall's Sweet Power Food!

by Kris Pitcher

Fall is a great time to focus on power foods! One of my favorites tops the list - the sweet potato. The sweet potato ranks number nine on the Cleveland Clinic's list of 35 Power Foods.

We should include power foods in our diet because they provide the richest amount of nutrients, the least amount of calories, the most health benefits, and are shown to decrease our risk of heart disease.

The sweet potato is rich in vitamins A, C, E, in copper and rich in fiber. This orange root vegetable packs a punch...and tastes like candy! Nature's candy. One cup cooked has 180 calories, 41 gms carbohydrates | 7 gms fiber | 4 gms protein.

They are easy to prepare. Just preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet with tin foil. Wash and dry the potatoes. Poke holes with a fork, and you can rub with olive oil, or not. Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork inserted meets softness. Yum!

Once they're done, let them cool. Then peel the skins off and enjoy. You can do almost anything with them. Eat them just as they are, or throw them in your food processor with some orange zest and a touch of cinnamon and clove. My mouth is watering...

Add some power to your diet by integrating the sweet potato into your carbohydrate rotation. Enjoy the benefits of this sweet power food!