There are some foods out there that you cook before you eat them, some eaten raw, and others that can be eaten either way. The great thing about cooking food is that you can add whatever ingredients and spices you want to it.
The heat helps infuse all the different tastes together, leaving for a delicious experience.
Don’t count out eating food raw, though. This can sometimes be the better way of eating, and one food that falls under this criterion is a sweet potato.
In this article, we’ll discuss if you can eat raw sweet potato, what are the possible benefits or risks, and how you can safely do it.
Contents
What Is a Sweet Potato?
First, we should go into what a sweet potato is because you may just think it’s another version of the typical brown potato.
This actually couldn’t be further from the truth. This sweet potato can be orange, yellow, or even white, red, or purple. It comes from the morning glory family and is related to the eggplant and tomato family.
The sweet photo is native to America, but it has grown across the world nowadays. This delicious vegetable is especially well known as being a staple of the American Thanksgiving meal.
Of course, it’s used in other meals, but you won’t go far in the United States without finding someone who is serving sweet potatoes for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Is It Possible To Eat Raw Sweet Potatoes?
So, you know what a sweet potato is, but you may wonder if it’s possible to eat sweet potatoes, and the answer is an absolute yes.
Some people may not know this because many people consume sweet potatoes when they are cooked. However, it is perfectly safe to eat it.
The sweet potato, as we know, is not like a regular potato, which isn’t always a good idea to eat raw because of the amount of starch. Of course, some risks come with eating a sweet potato, as well as benefits.
You can’t have one without the other, and in the next section, we will go into both things.
What Are the Risks of Eating Raw Sweet Potatoes?
Even though you can eat a sweet potato, some risks come along with it. This includes:
- Sweet Potatoes have a high amount of fiber, and this can make them a little more difficult to digest. If you are having trouble digesting the food, then you’ll end up with some gastrointestinal issues in the long run.
- The other issue you can get when eating raw sweet potatoes is that it does have a high amount of raffinose. Having a lot of this in your system can lead to issues like bloating, flatulence, and other issues.
These are the two biggest risks when eating sweet potatoes, and they can easily be remedied by eating them in moderation.
What Are the Benefits of Eating Raw Sweet Potato?
The number of benefits you get when eating raw sweet potato outweighs the few risks there are that come along with it. The benefits include:
- Sweet potatoes have a high amount of Vitamin A. The skin is also edible, so if you leave the skin on, you are getting four times your daily recommended amount of this vitamin. Other than that, Vitamin A is important because it helps your vision and immune system.
- They are low in calories, carbs, and fat so if you want to watch your weight, then go with sweet potatoes.
- You’ll also find that sweet potatoes contain some protein and fiber, which is always a benefit.
- Sweet potatoes are lower on the glycemic index than your regular potato, and this can help with your sugar content.
- Finally, sweet potatoes are chock full of antioxidants, and this is something everybody should consume to keep their body healthy.
So, as you can see, the benefits outweigh the risks. Eating sweet potatoes raw is perfectly safe and might even be the best way to consume this vegetable. This isn’t to say you can’t cook a sweet potato. You’ll find out how to do that next!
How Can You Cook Sweet Potato
There are several ways to cook a sweet potato, some being incredibly easy to do. These include:
- Baking a sweet potato is a very effective and delicious way to prepare your sweet potatoes. Most times, you heat the oven to around 350, and then once it’s heated, put the potatoes on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, flip them over, and then repeat the process.
- Boiling is another method of cooking sweet potatoes, and it’s very quick. Cut up the sweet potatoes and then put them in the boiling water. The boiling size depends on how you cut your sweet potatoes.
- Steaming sweet potatoes is also a way to serve them. What you need is a steamer basket, so make sure you have this on hand.
- Finally, the simplest way to cook your sweet potatoes is by washing them and then sticking them in the microwave. Once you do this, you just need to cook it on high for about five minutes and then flip it over during the process. Sometimes, you just want to get it over and done with!
These are the top five ways to cook your sweet potatoes if this is how you prefer to consume them or just want to try them cooked rather than raw.
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all your sweet potato lovers out there. You now know that it’s entirely possible to eat sweet potatoes raw.
Eating them raw brings you way more benefits than risks. The benefits do outweigh the risks, but if you prefer to eat things cooked, you can also cook sweet potatoes in a variety of ways.
Some take longer than others. However, all that matters is that you’ll have a delicious plate of sweet potatoes to eat after you have fully prepared them.
You might also be interested in the following:
- Can You Eat Raw Corn?
- Can You Eat Raw Tofu?
- Can You Eat Raw Onion?
- Can You Eat Raw Mushrooms?
- Can You Eat Raw Potatoes?
- Can You Eat Raw Zucchini?
I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.