I love sweet potatoes. I did not grow up eating them, and frankly, they always looked a little gross. However, two years ago I lived with a roommate who ate a lot of sweet potatoes. As a results I began to try them. Now I’m hooked. Sweet potato fries, sweet potato casserole, sweet potato custard, and anything else sweet potato related. Sweet potatoes are extremely healthy, and there are so many ways you can cook them. Sadly, most people only eat sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, and they only eat them smothered in marshmallows. Today I want to expand your knowledge of sweet potatoes.

This is the season for sweet potatoes. Most stores have them on sale this time of year. Many people are not sure if they are buying yams or sweet potatoes. Yams are actually a variety of sweet potatoes, they are the orange variety. I actually use yams in most of my recipes.

So are sweet potatoes healthy for you? Yes! They are loaded with dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and Vitamin C. So this Thanksgiving season make an effort to incorporate sweet potatoes into more of your meals. Branch out and try new recipes! Here are some great recipes that you may not have tried. I will only list my favorite, but I have provided links to the others.

Chicken, sweet potato & coconut curry

Serve this mildly spiced curry with rice noodles, basmati rice or chappati breads and introduce your kids to curry

Delicious Sugar & Spice Sweet Potatoes. Cut the sugar in half to make it healthier. It will still be tasty, I promise!

I love twice baked potatoes, but twice baked sweet potatoes? Heaven!

Who doesn’t love a good roasted sweet potato? Delicious and healthy side dish or can even be the main item. With red onions, rosemary, and Parmesan you can’t beat this. Highly recommend!

See sweet potatoes go with anything! Soy Glazed Sweet potatoes topped with sesame seeds sounds delicious.

Let us know how you like these!

Myth: Eating candy will cause cavities.

Ok, you may have survived Halloween, but this is just the beginning of candy season. Whether you ate all your kids candy, or they ate it there are some things you should now about candy and cavities.

I have always dreaded going to the dentists. Always. I put it off for as long as I think my teeth can stand. Now, here is my confession.

I hate going to the dentist because I always have cavities. Yes, it’s true. I brush my teeth several times a day, but I still get cavities. I was always told to floss more and eat less candy. I really don’t eat a ton of candy, but that is always blamed.

So why is it that candy always gets blamed for cavities? Well, here are a few reasons why candy may cause cavities:

• It is sticky, and stays on the teeth for longer than some other foods.
• It contains sugar that can be broker down by bacteria in your mouth.

Those are the two main reasons, but did you know that some common healthier snacks do the same thing? Raisins, for example are just as bad for the teeth as some candy. They get stuck in the teeth, and they contain a lot of sugar even if it is natural sugar. Potato chips, crackers, and even pasta contains carbohydrates that attract bacteria. These foods are all common snacks, but may provide just as many problems as candy.

The take home message is that no matter what foods you are eating, flossing is important. Whether you eat candy or not you still need to see your dentist regularly, and make sure you floss! Even healthy eating takes a toll of your teeth.

So enjoy the holidays, but remember to take care of your teeth even if you don’t decide to indulge in sweets.

I discovered a few things while grocery shopping this month. The first is that stores get ready for holidays way too early. Apparently the Easter items were put on the shelves the day after Valentines Day. I know very few people who are looking to purchase Easter paraphernalia that early. Why neglect all the other holidays in between?

While being bombarded with Easter items I remembered that I needed to buy eggs. This is where I made my second discovery of how truly diverse eggs really are.

I always knew eggs could be cooked in a hundred different ways, and were a staple part of millions of recipes. However, I did not know there were so many types of eggs themselves. Maybe this is because I don’t usually pay much attention to the egg section, or maybe it’s because it was my first time purchasing eggs at a health foods store. For whatever reason I have only recently discovered that eggs come in many different varieties. I’m sure this is not new news to many of you, but I found it interesting. So now we all get to learn more about eggs.

Standard eggs are the most common. These are the conventional eggs found in any supermarket that come from caged chickens. Usually your cheapest bet, but they’re still very nutritious.

Vegetarian Eggs come from hens that have only been fed plant products. No animal by-products.

Pasteurized Shell Eggs have been processed with heat to kill any potential salmonella. The risk of salmonella is small, but if you’re using raw eggs in a recipe this might be a good alternative. The only thing to note is that the heating process may deplete some vitamins.

Cage-Free Eggs are from hens that are still housed in a facility, but they don’t live in cages. They are allowed to nest naturally, and to be protected from the seasonal and environmental elements while still producing enough eggs.

(Cage-Free are actually the type of eggs I bought because they were on sale.
Did I feel healthier and more humane? No, not really. Was I healthier and
more humane? Maybe.)

Free-Range Eggs are from hes that are free to go indoors of outdoors. This may affect the amount of eggs they lay due to weather conditions. This may seem like the best alternative, but the eggs are usually lower quality because their feeding habits are not monitored.

Brown Eggs are actually just standard eggs. According to the Egg Nutrition Board, “White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and red ear lobes. There is no difference in taste or nutrition between white and brown eggs.” Apparently the brown cost more because those breeds of chickens eat more.

Ok, so bottom line. Eggs are good for you no matter what kind you buy. Free-range may not have as much nutritional value, but that will just depend on the chicken. You can also get nutrient enhanced eggs for increased health benefits. Keep in mind that every egg is a good source of protein, Vitamin B2, and many other nutrients. As far as eating white or yokes just remember that it is all good for you, but if you’re watching your weight then you may just want to stick with the whites. If you still have questions about eggs then check out this site:

http://www.aeb.org/