Sweet potatoes are an amazingly nutritious vegetable.

A medium-sized sweet potato is virtually fat free, cholesterol free, sodium free and provides more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, along with high levels of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and beta carotene.

In fact, there are many who claim the sweet potato is the single most nutritious vegetable grown on the planet. While it is often ignored in the United States today, during the first two centuries of European settlement in North America, sweet potatoes were prized by colonists and European royalty alike, prescribed by doctors as a perfect food for children, and highly valued by mariners who were concerned about scurvy and food storage.

Although most nutritional calculations are based upon the measurements of cooked pulp, the edible skins of sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and are eaten with enthusiasm in many households. The skin does in fact contain even higher amounts of many of the sweet potato’s legendary nutritional elements such as beta carotene.

When shopping for sweet potatoes, select firm, well-shaped potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid those with soft spots, bruises or any signs of decay. Also remember what you are buying them for. If you plan to cook them and not serve them raw, you'll need to remember that three medium potatoes equal one pound. One pound of sweet potatoes equal 1 1/4 cups pureed.

You can also check the labels on sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes in bags or in their large boxes must carry a label stating its net weight, distribution point and grade statement. All labels may look a bit different, but they must all contain this information.

Once you get your sweet potatoes home, make sure not to refrigerate them unless they are cooked. Cold temperatures can cause them to become bitter. Instead, store them in a cool, dry place and use them within a week or two. When cutting a sweet potato always use a stainless steel knife and place them into cold water to prevent darkening.

Sweet potatoes are a vegetable. The recommended daily allowance of vegetables is two to four servings daily. Sweet potatoes are low in sodium, cholesterol free, fat free, high in fiber, contain minerals and vitamins A, C and E. Sweet potatoes are also more nutritious if cooked with the skin on. They are also rich in beta-carotene (a special kind of vitamin A). This vitamin helps your body wage war against free-radicals. Free-radicals try to damage your cells, but beta-carotene coats your cells and help your immune system fight back.

Sweet potatoes are good for your health! With all the ways to eat them the choices are endless. Make sure to pick some up next time you go shopping. And remember Goodness Grows In North Carolina!!!