Sweet Potato

We could have it fried or boiled but we chose to have it boiled this time since we always have it fried almost all of the time. We never run out of sweet potato every week. Whenever the vegetable vendor passes by, Mom never fails to buy a pack or two packs of it. I've researched about the benefits of having potatoes in our diet and here's what i've got.

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is in the botanical family Convolvulaceae along with common plants, such as bindweed and morning glory. The generic name Ipomoea comes from the Greek words "ips," meaning bindweed, and "homoios," meaning similar. Sweet potatoes should not be confused with ordinary potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) as they are entirely unrelated, although their uses can be similar. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are often known as yams, especially in the southern United States, but they are quite different from true yams (Dioscorea sp.) in growth habit and use. Furthermore, unlike true yams, the greens of sweet potatoes are edible and provide an important source of food in Africa and Asia.

The flesh may be white, yellow, or pink (if carotene is present); the leaves are also edible. A 200-g portion is a rich source of vitamins A (as carotene if pink) and C; a source of iron and vitamin B₁; provides 4.5 g of dietary fibre; contains 0.4 g of fat, of which 16% is saturated; supplies 170 kcal (700 kJ).