Are you cooking Sweet Potatoes (Yams) correctly? Top 5 mistakes that destroy their nutrients

Yummy yams season is officially here! While these sweet potatoes might be available all year round, the best quality and taste will be found in the produce harvested from August to December, which can be included in various recipes and provide the benefit of both taste and health. As simple as they might be, did you know cooking yams incorrectly could actually rob them of their nutrients? Below, find five mistakes you may have been making while cooking sweet potatoes or yams.

One of the most common and damaging methods of cooking yams is removing their peels similar to other vegetables. It is one of those unique veggies whose peel is much more nutritious than its flesh. A sweet potato with peel has twice the fiber and ten times the antioxidants as one without. The peels are packed with four different kinds of dietary fiber and flavonoids polyphenols providing the benefits of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and more.

Most people opt to bake yams in the oven when it comes to eating them. However, it is important not to bake the vegetable at high temperatures as this can lead to a significant loss of Vitamin A and other antioxidants. It's better to boil or microwave them if you wish to retain the nutrients.

Many people moisturise the yams before cooking them, a step that is recommended in most recipes. However, it is vital not to lather too much oil or butter so that you are unknowingly increasing its calorie content. It's better to use healthy fats like olive oil in moderation to enhance flavour.

For those who like to leave yams to cook for a long period of time, there are no nutritional benefits left in the veggies. Rather than letting them roast for long, it's better to just cook them till tender.

Soaking or cutting sweet potatoes before cooking them is also a big no-no. This can cause the loss of water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C and B and can also lead to the yams getting oxidised and their flesh turning brown. It's better to cook them whole or cut them right before cooking.