When I was growing up in the North, sweet potatoes generally made an annual appearance – for the holidays, and they were usually drowning in brown sugar and butter. As a kid, I was convinced that you could eat them if you couldn’t taste them. It wasn’t until I moved to the South that I realized sweet potatoes are a highly respected and nutritious staple and frequent star of the dinner table.

I guess that’s because we grow them here – lots of them. North Carolina is the No. 1 grower of sweet potatoes in the U.S., bringing in $176 million last year. They are the official state vegetable (if you follow that sort of thing). Many former tobacco farmers now produce sweet potatoes that thrive in the same heat and sandy soil. And that’s just one healthy aspect of this odd-shaped tuber.

Sweet potatoes are rich in Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes and skin, and Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta carotene, which are antioxidants that boost your immune system, reduce your chance of heart disease and cancer, and help with arthritis, asthma and allergies. And despite their “sweet” name, sweet potatoes contain no processed sugar, are high in fiber, and have only 120 calories per serving.

Sweet potatoes have also become sexy. They’ve popped up in new forms and on gourmet menus: sweet potato fries, sweet potato chips, baked sweet potatoes, herb-roasted sweet potatoes, sweet potato salad and my personal favorite, sweet potato biscuits. But you’ll still find candied sweet potatoes covered in marshmallows and pecans, as well as sweet potato pie, that Southern competitor to good ol’ pumpkin.

Like many things I wasn’t crazy about as a kid, I’ve warmed up to sweet potatoes. They are good for you, and good for the North Carolina economy. And I’m proud to say they taste pretty good now, too. Sneak some on your plate next to the turkey!

What’s your favorite sweet potato dish?

By Amanda Serra (Branch Manager, Realtor®, GRI)