Did you know that it’s National Vegetarian Week? Well, technically only in the UK, but I feel the need to recognize a week that promotes a lifestyle I’ve been embracing for 15 years now, even if it’s not in the US. Shout out to any fellow vegetarian/vegans/veg curious/veggie loving people reading this! [Side note: I think the US has a vegetarian week later in the year.]
My morning just flew by, as I was super productive work-wise and got a lot done earlier in the day. Later in the afternoon, I decided to take a break, get some fresh air, and go for a hike with Harley. One of the big perks of working from home is the ability to decide I’m going to leave my desk and go hiking at 2 PM! I find that I am way more productive and focused if I take a breaks. I’d rather be working at 8 PM and have taken a break to go walk my dog, run an errand, and/or workout, than work straight through the day. Hey, it works for me 🙂
I was on high alert for snakes during our hike, especially since the trail was pretty empty. Like a total creep, I kept thinking that if I got bit by one, no one was around to help me out. Harley kept trying to run into bushes for some reason, which only fueled my slight paranoia. But, luckily no snake sightings today!
Harley does this thing nowadays where she’ll refuse to look at me if I’m pointing a camera or phone at her. I was trying to capture her tongue out, exhausted, happy puppy face in the car on the way back, but she wasn’t having it:
What a little stinker.
Dinner
While surveying what to eat tonight, I noticed I had half a sweet potato leftover from making chickpea sweet potato burgers. I suddenly remembered my love for them. During college I ate baked sweet potatoes all the time, but I haven’t really made them lately because my farmer’s market doesn’t ever carry them. Tonight I ate my sweet potato with leftover kale & ricotta ravioli. I dressed it up with a touch of butter, syrup, cinnamon, and chopped pecans:
YUM.
Why sweet potatoes are awesome: They’re a good source of Vitamin A & C, calcium, potassium, fiber and iron. Frequently referred to as a superfood, sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene, which is thought to help lower your risk of heart disease, fight cataracts and prevent cancer. The veggie is also believed to regulate blood sugar in those with diabetes. Not to knock em, but sweet potatoes are way better for you than white potatoes, calorically and in numerous other ways nutritionally speaking.
Now that I’ve rekindled my baked sweet potato love, I’m definitely going to be eating them more often!
Wow! I never knew that about Sweet Potatoes! That’s awesome. You know, I bet regular potatoes do have some nutritional benefit that isn’t known, as well. It’s like water, which has “no nutrients” and yet is vital to our function. But on paper, it would seem not to be. I always keep that in mind. I wonder… if it’s much healthier to eat fried sweet potato fries as opposed to white fries? If you compare the two, one is so bland, while the other just has such a… heavy flavor to it. You can tell it’s packed with something! I’d be interested to try sweet potatoes “plain”. I don’t think I’ve ever had them like that, usually they are mixed with brown sugar and syrup for the stuff you eat at Thanksgiving & Christmas, but i bet there’s all kinds of cool things you could do with them to spice up meals. Especially since normal potatoes are such a tired food that’s used to death 😛
I like your blog. I gotta subscribe. 😀 I especially like learning new things! Thanks for sharing your sweet potato-love! lol. Now you got me wanting to try it!
Thanks for the comment and for reading! You’re right, white potatoes do have some redeeming qualities, such as potassium and fiber. The main difference I think of is in regards to the glycemic index, as white potatoes elevate the blood sugar more quickly and are sometimes referred to as “blood sugar bombs” for this reason. It’s not as if white potatoes are absolutely horrific for you, but the problem is that French fries are the #1 veggie eaten in the US. So we’ve taken a white, starchy veggie, deep fried it, and somehow believe it to be healthy for us! As I mentioned, sweet potatoes have a lot of great vitamins in them, and as you said, just taste like they’re better for you. Well I hope you try a baked sweet potato soon!
Haha, actually I don’t think there’s a person alive who thinks french fries are healthy for them lol. That’s a very good point about how we eat them more than any other vegetable, so we’re getting too much of what it offers I’d reckon. I have never heard that term “blood sugar bombs” for potatoes! You’re blog keeps teaching me new things! 😀
I definitely want to try a sweet potato baked soon. I am NOT a fan of white potatoes actually (EXCEPT as fries, ironically lol. And I often ask for them unsalted, even at McD, cause I don’t like the taste of salt lol. I don’t put it on my popcorn or tortilla chips even :P) so I haven’t had a baked white potato in FOREVER.
I can only imagine what a baked sweet potato must taste like!
So do you think if you just fried sweet potatoes in favor of white potato fries, do you think they’d be “better” for you. I know that’s an oxymoron but I think its an interesting question. 🙂 I just followed your blog 🙂 Thanks for the response!
Thanks for the comment and for reading! You’re right, white potatoes do have some redeeming qualities, such as potassium and fiber. The main difference I think of is in regards to the glycemic index, as white potatoes elevate the blood sugar more quickly and are sometimes referred to as “blood sugar bombs” for this reason. It’s not as if white potatoes are absolutely horrific for you, but the problem is that French fries are the #1 veggie eaten in the US. So we’ve taken a white, starchy veggie, deep fried it, and somehow believe it to be healthy for us! As I mentioned, sweet potatoes have a lot of great vitamins in them, and as you said, just taste like they’re better for you. Well I hope you try a baked sweet potato soon!
Thanks for the follow! True, I hope that people don’t actually think fries are healthy.. I should have said that we as a nation eat French fries more than any other veggie and seem to think that’s ok!
Well, like you said, it’s a bit of an oxymoron – anything with the word “fries” in it isn’t exactly a health food, but I would eat sweet potato fries over regular ones any day. I’ve made sweet potato fries a healthier way – drizzling them with olive oil and seasonings and baking them instead of deep frying them. Good idea, perhaps I’ll make them again soon and post about it! 🙂