Regarding sweet potatoes' health benefits and medicinal value, ancient medical experts documented their efficacy. Sweet potatoes strengthen the spleen, boost energy, and replenish deficiencies. They treat damp-heat conditions, childhood malnutrition, and dysentery. The white sap secreted from raw sweet potatoes aids bowel movements and promotes blood circulation, making them an excellent ingredient for regulating the spleen and stomach and relieving constipation.
In folk remedies, mashed sweet potato paste applied topically can treat eczema, shingles, and centipede bites.
Sweet potatoes can also serve as a staple food, providing a satisfying feeling of fullness. Their low-calorie content aids digestion and makes them suitable for weight loss. To incorporate sweet potatoes into your diet for weight management, try these delicious recipes.
1. Sweet Potato Oatmeal Porridge
Ingredients: Sweet potato, rolled oats, low-fat milk.
Method: Wash and peel the sweet potato, then cut into small pieces. Soak the oats in water for ten minutes. Steam the sweet potato and oats together until tender. Finally, blend the steamed sweet potato and oats in a blender with milk and a pinch of sugar until smooth.
2. Sweet Potato Porridge
Ingredients: Sweet potato, rice.
Instructions: Wash and peel sweet potatoes, cut into small pieces. Cook with rice in water until porridge forms.
4. Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients: Sweet potato, cauliflower, cornstarch.
Method: Steam sweet potato chunks until tender. Blend into puree using a juicer. Cut cauliflower into small florets and boil for 2 minutes. Add to sweet potato puree and simmer for 30 seconds before turning off heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water, then stir into soup until thickened.
5. Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients: Sweet potato, onion, sesame seeds, milk, broth.
Instructions: Wash and peel sweet potatoes, cut into strips. Heat oil in a pan, sauté onions until softened. Add sweet potato strips and stir-fry until half-cooked. Pour in broth and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove a portion for later use. Mash remaining sweet potatoes, mix in milk, salt, and pepper. Plate the soup, sprinkle with sesame seeds and reserved sweet potato strips.
6. Shredded Chicken and Sweet Potato Steamed Eggs
Ingredients: Chicken thigh meat, sweet potato, edamame, eggs.
Method: Boil chicken thigh, shred. Wash and shred sweet potato. Wash edamame. Beat eggs, add prepared ingredients and a splash of boiling water. Mix well, season with salt and pepper, then steam until set.
7. Sweet Potato Chicken Rice
Ingredients: Chicken thighs, sweet potato, carrot, green peas, ham, agar strips, corn, white rice, brown rice, millet.
Method: Debone and skin chicken thighs, wash and cut into chunks. Dice sweet potato, carrot, and ham. Rinse all rice varieties and place in a pot. Layer prepared ingredients over rice, season with salt, pepper, and oil, then steam until cooked.
8. Barley and Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients: Sweet potato, barley.
Method:Soak wheat berries overnight. Wash, peel, and dice sweet potatoes. Cook wheat berries in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Transfer to another pot, add sweet potatoes, and simmer until tender. Optionally sweeten with rock sugar. These sweet potato-based weight-loss recipes are nutritious, healthy, and low in calories—perfect for healthy weight management. Feel free to experiment with them.