Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams: Are You Confused?

No yam: Sweet potatoes, such as the variety shown here, have a distinct nutritional profile.

For years we’ve known that sweet potatoes are a superfood, both in terms of taste and standout nutrition. One large baked sweet potato contains only 160 calories and more fiber than a cup of cooked oatmeal. Sweet potatoes have almost no fat, cholesterol or sodium, and rank low on the glycemic index, meaning they won’t cause your blood sugar to spike. What’s more, sweet potatoes contain an impressive amount of heart-healthy vitamin E and so much beta-carotene per 1-cup serving that you’d have to eat 16 cups of broccoli to get the equivalent amount!

But here’s the frustrating part: When we shop for sweet potatoes, it’s not always clear what spuds to choose. That’s because several decades ago when the soft, orange-flesh variety of sweet potatoes came to market, shippers and producers called them “yams,” to differentiate them from their ivory counterparts. (There are hundreds of different varieties of sweet potatoes, including purple ones!)

True yams, however, are a different food from sweet potatoes with a discrete nutritional profile. Yams come from the Dioscorea genus, while sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family. True yams are rough and scaly on the outside and contain little beta-carotene. Because of that, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that whenever the label “yam” is used for the orange-flesh sweet potatoes, that a label saying “sweet potato” always must accompany it.

Since February is National Sweet Potato Month, here’s one more reason to enjoy this succulent, sweet root, which we love to bake, split and top with lemony mashed avocado, black beans and salsa for a vegetarian dinner. We also love sweet potato “fries,” which we make by cutting into sticks, tossing with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, and roasting until golden. Yum!

What’s your favorite sweet potato recipe? Is it a pie?

Tags: Agriculture, Agronomy, Beta-Carotene, Botany, carotenoids, food, Hospitality/Recreation, Jamaican cuisine, olive oil, potato, Root vegetables, Staple foods, Sweet potato, Tropical agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Yam