topic Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes in Recipes

YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

KathyPet — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 16:16:17 GMT

Sweet potatoes usually are sweeter than Yams. Yams have more starch. Sweet potatoes have calcium, iron, protein, beta carotene, sodium, Vitamin A and more sugar and water than Yams.

Yams have more fiber, potassium and vitamins C, B-6 and E than sweet potatoes but also more fats and carbs. Sweet potatoes are more readily available in grocery stores than Yams.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

Zhills — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 17:17:21 GMT

A recent TV segment stated that sweet potatoes are the perfect food.

If you were stranded on an island, you could survive just eating sweet potatoes! Glad I like them!

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

qualitygal — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 18:06:59 GMT

My husband just asked me this today. I made a sweet potato pie today and then did the eggs. I don't care for those, but who knows, maybe I can try 1/2 a one. LOL

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

Noel7 — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 18:12:46 GMT

I have read that most of what we buy in the markets are sweet potatoes, not yams. And there is a big difference between them.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

Sushismom — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 20:23:07 GMT

@Noel7

Yep. Although often referred to as yams in the U.S., it is sometimes used to refer to varieties of the completely unrelated sweet potato.

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires sweet potatoes labeled with the term "yam" to be accompanied by the term "sweet potato".

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

phoenixbrd — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 20:20:15 GMT

@KathyPet I love yams....they seem sweeter and more dense, but in a pinch I'll also enjoy a sweet potato.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

alicedee — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 20:23:44 GMT

Well I'm no Martha Stewart competition...I thought they were the same thing lol!!!

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

novamc1 — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 20:29:16 GMT

For the first time in my life, I was in a grocery store that had a display of sweet potatoes and yams positioned next to each other. The yams were a deeper red color than the sweets. I bought one of each for DH and me and did my usual thing of oiling them unpeeled and baking for a long time until really really cooked.

My DH, who is the big sweet potato fan in the family, said he couldn't taste or see the difference. I couldn't either. Go figure.....

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

ECBG — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 22:03:13 GMT

In the south "yams" often referred to the prepared dish of sweet potatoes cut into pieces and simmered in brown sugar and butter.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

sidsmom — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 22:22:17 GMT

It’s unusual for grocery stores to sell yams, but obviously

as illustrated in previous posts ^^^, they are sold.

They are starchier & drier than sweet potatoes...and look like bark.

If anything, the traditional stores will have different sweet potatoes

in all different colors...orange, white, purple.

I love this time of year!

For the next 2 months of Super-Sales of sweet potatoes,

my food budget will be lower than ever! Save major $$.

Stock up for the upcoming months.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

sidsmom — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 22:21:34 GMT

@phoenixbrd wrote:
@KathyPet I love yams....they seem sweeter and more dense, but in a pinch I'll also enjoy a sweet potato.

@phoenixbrd

I don’t believe I’ve ever had a yam. The bark-skin would kinda

freak me out. Ha. The longer I’m on my WFPB journey,

I’m becoming more sensitive to the sweetness in regular orange

sweet potatoes....they’re almost -too- sweet. I’m really diggin’

the white sweet potatoes or specialty Hannah sweet potatoes.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

Sushismom — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 02:15:35 GMT

Well, except that true yams can have skin colored from dark brown to light pink.

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

Noel7 — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 03:14:14 GMT

@Sushismom wrote:
@Noel7

Yep. Although often referred to as yams in the U.S., it is sometimes used to refer to varieties of the completely unrelated sweet potato.

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires sweet potatoes labeled with the term "yam" to be accompanied by the term "sweet potato".

Hi @Sushismom

It’s good to see you 😃

Re: YAMS vs. Sweet Potatoes

Financialgrl — Fri, 03 Nov 2017 11:15:53 GMT

I've read that half the time they are mismarked in stores anyway. I mostly see "sweet potatoes" listed on the signs. Ironically, I bought some sweet potatoes just last week at Giant and had been at a self-serve kiosk, they are all listed as yams when looking up.