Superfood of the Week: Sweet Potatoes

From sweet tater fries to sweet potato burritos, you're sure to find trendy superfood sweet potatoes popping up on restaurant menus -- and in home kitchens(!) -- everywhere. And it's no surprise: In addition to adding texture, nutrition, flavor and a pop of color to any dish, one medium sweet potato has a mere 105 calories and four grams of filling fiber. Plus, one of these spuds provides a whopping 400% of your daily value of Vitamin A to boost your eye health and immunity. Now that's a nutritional powerhouse. Here are four fab sweet potato recipes to jumpstart your week.

Whole-Wheat Sweet Potato Pancakes: With hearty whole-wheat flour and yummy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, this all-star Food Network recipe is perfect for a lazy weekend morning brunch. Unlike the traditional white-flour pancakes, these healthy whole-wheat hotcakes are loaded with fiber to curb your mid-afternoon hunger pangs. Enjoy them with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and a sprinkling of toasted pecans for added texture.Sweet Tater Black Bean Burgers: It's time to take your veggie burger to another level. This recipe is the king of healthy bean burgers, bursting at the seams with superfoods like sweet potato, quinoa, oats and sunflower seeds. Layer it up with creamy avocado, roasted red peppers or juicy tomatoes-- and place on a toasted whole-wheat bun. This meal wouldn't be complete without--you guessed it...sweet potato fries.Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie: This guilt-free, creamy smoothie tastes like indulgent sweet potato pie in a glass. The best part is that you can totally "cheat" and use canned sweet potato puree for this one (or just whiz up some leftover cooked sweet potato in the blender to make your own). Simply combine in a blender one cup of sweet potato puree, one overripe frozen banana, 1 cup of skim milk, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. Blend until smooth and top with a dash of cinnamon and a few walnuts. Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad: This super satisfying meatless meal spotlights sweet potatoes and black beans, a nutrient-rich pairing. The zesty lime dressing perfectly complements the fresh flavors of the bell peppers, scallions, tomatoes and mint.

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Image Credit: Gourmet/Romulo Yanes

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