We recently sat down with functional medicine expert Amy Sapola, PharmD, director of Farmacy at The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio, on the mindbodygreen podcast to chat about how to make these tasty veggies even healthier. Here, find her blood-sugar-friendly trick. To be specific, Sapola says that roasting sweet potatoes can take their glycemic index score from a 60 to a 90—pretty drastic for such a simple change. Now, experts will usually advise against boiling your vegetables, since you lose many of their valuable nutrients in the cooking water. “However, sweet potatoes are a very rare exception,” says Sapola, especially when it comes to your blood sugar response. Just be sure to let your potatoes sit in the pot for more than just a few minutes, Sapola says. “Boiling sweet potatoes whole for 20 minutes covered is actually the best way to keep the glycemic impact low,” she explains. After your potato has boiled and cooled, it’s time to get creative with preparation. You may opt for a healthier spin on a classic mashed potato side. Or if you’re ready to dive into fall, a sweet potato soup can serve as the perfect comfort food. Either way, you’ll be soaking up all of the nutrients of the sweet potato while potentially minimizing the following blood sugar spike. And if you’d rather bake your sweet potatoes? That’s fine, too: The nutritious veggie boasts plenty of health benefits, even if it does cause a bit of a glucose spike.
