{"id":15496,"date":"2025-08-06T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=15496"},"modified":"2026-01-05T05:19:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T13:19:46","slug":"are-sweet-potatoes-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/are-sweet-potatoes-healthy\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Sweet Potatoes Good for You? Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was a kid growing up in British Columbia, my kale- and turnip-loving parents didn\u2019t feed us processed sugar of any kind.<\/span><\/p>\n

But once in a while, on a special occasion, we\u2019d have sweet potatoes. When they were baking in the oven, our tiny cabin would fill with warmth (which was its own special treat, especially in the Canadian winter!) and the exquisite smell of sweet-potatoey goodness.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, I\u2019m extremely fond of sweet potatoes. So when I decided to write an article about them, I had to check all my happy memories at the keyboard and look at the evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Meet the Sweet Potato<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sweet potatoes (<\/span>Ipomoea batatas<\/span><\/i>) are <\/span>large, starchy, sweet-tasting vegetables. <\/b>They actually belong to the morning glory family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite sharing a name, <\/span>sweet potatoes are only distantly related to the potatoes<\/span><\/i> we typically bake and turn into french fries and potato chips. Non-sweet <\/span>potatoes<\/span><\/a> (including red, white, russet, and Yukon gold varieties) are part of the edible nightshade family, whose members also include tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplants, peppers, pimentos, and goji berries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet potatoes are root tubers,<\/b> meaning they store water and energy, including starch and other carbohydrates, underground. They draw upon these resources to feed the aboveground parts of the plant. Other root tubers include beets, carrots, parsnips, celeriac, and turnips.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Origin of the Sweet Potato<\/h2>\n
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iStock.com\/Bondas Olga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sweet potatoes are <\/span>some of the oldest foods known to humanity.<\/b><\/p>\n

They are <\/span>native<\/span><\/a> to Central and South America. We have fossil <\/span>evidence<\/span><\/a> that sweet potatoes were growing in the Americas 35 million years ago. But very recently, scientists discovered 57-million-year-old leaf fossils in India that appear to be ancient morning glory leaves. This could beat the American claim as the point of origin of the sweet potato family by about 22 million years (so not exactly a photo finish!).<\/span><\/p>\n

Wherever and whenever they originated, and however they have traveled the globe, I\u2019m incredibly thankful that most of us have sweet potatoes in our lives today.<\/span><\/p>\n

I Yam What I Yam, But What\u2019s a Yam?<\/h2>\n

Sweet potatoes are often called \u201cyams,\u201d but the resemblance is mostly skin-deep \u2014 and even that\u2019s a stretch. Botanically, they aren\u2019t even distant cousins.<\/span><\/p>\n

True yams are <\/span>related<\/span><\/a> to grasses and lilies. <\/span>Native<\/span><\/a> to Africa and Asia, they typically have long, cylindrical shapes with thick, brown or black bark-like skin, and white, purple, or reddish flesh inside. Most yams are starchy, dry, and not sweet at all (despite the misleading name swap).<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, are from the morning glory family. They usually have tapered ends, smoother skin, and \u2014 true to their name \u2014 a naturally sweet flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where it gets confusing: In North America, many grocery stores label soft-fleshed sweet potatoes (like <\/span>garnet or jewel<\/span><\/a> varieties) as \u201cyams.\u201d Why? Because decades ago, when <\/span>both firm and soft<\/span><\/a> types of sweet potatoes started being sold, grocers needed a way to tell them apart. Since the soft ones looked more like yams, the name stuck \u2014 even though it\u2019s botanically incorrect.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re seeing \u201cyams\u201d at the supermarket, chances are good you\u2019re looking at sweet potatoes in disguise. Real yams? You\u2019ll likely need to visit an international or specialty market to find those.<\/span><\/p>\n

How Many Sweet Potato Varieties Exist?<\/h2>\n
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iStock.com\/Nungning20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While most supermarkets carry one or two different types of sweet potatoes, more than 100 varieties are available in the United States. And I was amazed to discover that this <\/span>represents<\/span><\/a> only a tiny fraction of the total diversity of sweet potatoes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The sweet potato geeks of the world may be fascinated to know that the International Potato Center in Peru maintains a gene bank consisting of over 6,500 varieties of sweet potato. I don\u2019t know about you, but I wish I could try them all!<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweet potato varieties range in color from dark red to brown to purple to orange-yellow to white, with different tastes, sizes, shapes, and textures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are Just a Few of the Most Popular Types of Sweet Potatoes:<\/h3>\n