CSPI Rates Sweet Potato As Most Nutritional Vegetable By Far

According to nutritionists at the non-profit, consumer-oriented Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), “the single most important dietary change for most people, including children, would be to replace fatty foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes.” CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one in nutrition of all vegetables; and with a score of 184, the plain, baked sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable—the plain, baked potato—by more than 100 points.

Spinach is ranked third with 76 points, kale fourth at 55 and mixed vegetables and broccoli tied for fifth at 52 points each. Points were given for content of dietary fiber, naturally occurring sugars and complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium, cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine—the higher the score, the more nutritious the food.

• Sweet potato, baked 184_x000B_; Potato, baked 83; _x000B_Spinach 76; _x000B_Kale 55; _x000B_Mixed Vegetables 52_x000B_; Broccoli 52; _x000B_Winter Squash, baked 44_x000B_; Brussels Sprouts 37; _x000B_Cabbage, Raw 34; _x000B_Green Peas 33; _x000B_Carrot 30_x000B_; Okra 30; _x000B_Corn on the Cob 27_x000B_; Tomato 27; _x000B_Green Pepper 26_x000B_; Cauliflower 25; _x000B_Artichoke 24_x000B_; Romaine Lettuce 24. _x000B_(Results as determined by nutritionists at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington D.C.)

The main features of the sweet potato took first place honors include its high contents of dietary fiber, naturally-occurring sugars, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Sweet potatoes are also noted as being strong in the following: beta-carotene, vitamin B6, thiamine, niacin, potassium and copper, and are also a good source of vitamin E._x000B__x000B_ The sweet potato nutritional numbers speak for themselves—almost twice the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, 42% of the recommendation for vitamin C, four times the RDA for beta carotene; and, when eaten with the skins, sweet potatoes have more fiber than oatmeal. All these benefits—with only about 130 to 160 calories per one-cup serving!

We especially love our sweet potatoes baked plain and served, or perhaps add some real butter to melt and enhance the flavor while they are still good and hot. There are many, many sources of recipes on the internet, and many of them want to add sugar, but we find that properly-grown “sweet potatoes” shouldn’t need any added sugar. We even eat them raw or baked as chips, and then there are those sinfully delicious, but not quite so healthy—sweet potato fries.

And now with your order of Seeds N Such sweet potato transplants, you can grow your own crop of this most nutritious of all vegetables, no matter where you live “in any of the 50 states, even Maine, Montana and Minnesota.” By starting with transplants as soon as frost danger has passed, you will be able to grow your own sweet potatoes in the short growing seasons of the far North. We begin shipping plants to warm regions April 15 and continue until June 5 for Northern gardens. Due to state law restrictions, we cannot ship plants to California, but we ship to everywhere else in the U.S.

“All orders are accompanied with detailed growing instructions and prize-winning recipes! With new early varieties and the same old fabulous taste, there’s now no excuse not to grow sweet potatoes anywhere! We do suggest that if you live in the extreme North that you cover your rows 2 to 3 weeks before your plants arrive with our Red Mulch Film to warm the soil and aid growth.”