Recipes: Potassium-Rich Sweet Potatoes

High-Potassium Foods Can Offset Sodium

Potassium can help manage blood pressure in two ways: It naturally helps to flush sodium out of the body, and it can help blood vessel walls to relax.

Potassium-rich foods include a variety of fruits and vegetables: spinach, tomatoes, oranges, lima beans and broccoli, to name a few. Topping the list are sweet potatoes.

One sweet potato contains nearly 700 mg of potassium, approximately 15 percent of the recommended daily amount. Sweet potatoes don’t have to be boring: These two recipes from the CVI’s Healthy Heart Cookbook make for interesting flavor combinations.

Roasted Sweet Potato with Apple

Serves 5

Ingredients

1 lb of sweet potatoes, cubed, with skin on
1 lb of Granny Smith apples, cubed, with skin on
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and apples with olive oil, cinnamon and brown sugar. Arrange in a single layer in a large baking pan.

Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, until potatoes and apples are soft when pierced with a fork.

Nutrition Facts: Total calories per serving: 190; total fat: 6g; saturated fat: 1g; total cholesterol: 0mg; sodium: 50mg; total carbohydrates: 38g; total fiber: 6g; sugar: 15g; protein: 2g

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup fresh rosemary
½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 450°F. Wash and peel potatoes; cut into small cubes.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Arrange mixture on a baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Nutrition Facts: Total calories per serving: 200; Total fat: 13g; Saturated fat: 1.5g; Total cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 50mg; Total carbohydrate: 20g; Total fiber: 4g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 3g

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