Celebrate National Cook a Sweet Potato Day on February 22nd by taking look at all these root vegetables provide. It’s a versatile item that can be part of your main entree or a simple side dish and takes very little to prepare. 
 
Nutrients Found in Sweet Potatoes

 
Choline helps with inflammation. It’s believed to help the nervous system function properly. It also helps the muscles and supports brain health in terms of memory. Sweet potatoes contain approximately 12 mg of choline. 
 
One baked sweet potato contains more than 1,400 mcg of vitamin A, which helps with eye health. It’s also an antioxidant that helps keep the cells healthy. It’s recommended that women get at least 700 mcg of vitamin A each day and men should get 900 mcg. 
 
Vitamin C is another beneficial antioxidant. It’s another vitamin you find in sweet potatoes. A half-cup of sweet potato provides almost 13 mg of vitamin C. Vitamin C can help the body absorb iron to prevent anemia. It also helps the immune system. 
 
There’s something else to think about. Sweet potatoes contain a lot of fiber. Fiber is beneficial when it comes to avoiding constipation and helping with digestion. It’s also linked to a lowered risk of colorectal cancer. 
 
Finally, a cup of sweet potato contains 2 grams of protein. Protein is essential for muscle health. When it comes to protein, it’s recommended that people get 0.8 grams per 2.2 pounds of body weight. If your dad weighs 200 pounds, he should be eating 72.7 grams of protein each day. 
 
How Do You Use Sweet Potatoes? 
 
You can bake a sweet potato just as you would a regular potato. Serve it with a little whipped butter flavored with maple sugar and cinnamon butter for a treat. Otherwise, serve it the same way your parents like their baked potatoes be it butter, salt, or pepper. 
 
Peel and cube sweet potato and toss the cubes in a healthy oil like walnut oil, cumin, and smoked paprika. Use those cubes in tacos in place of your parents’ preferred meat. Sweet potatoes are also great mashed, grated and turned into hash browns, or pureed in soups. 
 
If you’re worried about the foods your parents eat, elderly care services will help. Caregivers come to your parents’ home to take them grocery shopping, help plan meals for the week, prepare those meals, and make sure your parents eat well. Call an elderly care specialist to discuss the prices for meal preparation services. 

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring Elderly Care in Columbia, SC, contact Heart of the Carolinas Home Care at 864-991-3116.  Providing Home Care Services in Greenville, Simpsonville, Greer, Anderson, Spartanburg, Mauldin, Seneca, Laurens, Charleston, Columbia and the surrounding areas. 

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Edward Harrison

Founder at Heart of the Carolinas

Edward Harrison founded the Heart of the Carolinas Homecare in 2007 when he saw there was a need for caregivers that provide non-medical home care services, at a price that most people could afford. It was standard in the industry to require hourly minimums and it was common to be assigned a caregiver, not matched with one based on your individual personal needs. Edward understood that to make a successful relationship between caregiver and client, skills were not enough, personality and compatibility plays as much a role as do skills.

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