Livin' Lean Topic Tuesday: Have a Meal with a Sweetie

I'm not talking about your main squeeze here. I am talking about SWEET POTATOES! Did you know that sweet potatoes aren't even potatoes at all?!?! They are not even distant cousins. Crazy, right? Well, maybe you knew this already, but to me, it was fresh news! I may not have known about the whole "not really being a potato" business, but I have known for years that sweet potatoes are loaded with great nutrition. They are high in anti-oxidants, high in fiber, one of the top three food sources of potassium, fat and cholesterol free and have a low glycemic index for maintaining steady glucose levels. Pretty impressive! It's no wonder that so many health and nutrition experts refer to sweet potatoes as a "Power Food".

So why all this talk about sweet potatoes? One, because they are so good for us that they deserve a little recognition. And two, because the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission is holding a blogger recipe contest where you could win some great prizes just for creating a healthy and delicious sweet potato recipe! The contest runs from now until the 21st of March. I think it would be great to see how many wonderful recipes we could create using these super sweet potatoes.

I will definitely be posting my recipe here in the next couple of weeks. I encourage you to create a recipe of your own, post it on your blog and link it back here in a comment under this post. Cooking is fun. Cooking and sharing with others is even better!

Good luck! I can't wait to see what you all cook up!

Not interested in entering the contest? Here are some ideas for adding sweet potatoes to  your diet.*
* Pack a baked sweet potato for lunch, topped with vanilla yogurt or cinnamon-flavored applesauce
* Add peeled chunks to your favorite stew
* Switch from potato chips to sweet potato chips
* Peel and cut into strips to eat with your favorite dip
* Blend into a breakfast smoothie
* Substitute in recipes calling for white potatoes or apples
For details on the Bloggers Recipe Contest...click HERE.

*Facts & other materials provided by the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.