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Eating Sweet Potatoes Raw: What Speaks For and What Speaks Against it

You can eat sweet potatoes raw, but not regular potatoes. But what about the unhealthy oxalic acid in sweet potatoes? Here’s how healthy raw sweet potatoes really are.

Eat sweet potatoes raw: That’s why they’re the better potatoes

It sounds paradoxical: while you should never eat potatoes raw, that’s no problem with sweet potatoes. But the reason is obvious: sweet potatoes are not potatoes at all. Instead, sweet potatoes belong to the morning glory family and not to the nightshade family like the potato. So sweet potatoes are much more of a root. Compared to potatoes, sweet potatoes also contain no solanine. This is the toxic substance, which is why you should not eat potatoes raw.

Sweet potatoes contain many healthy ingredients. While some are broken down during cooking and baking, when consumed raw you can benefit from:
Carotenoids and anthocyanins (antioxidants)
Potassium (helps against stress, among other things)
Minerals such as calcium, zinc and iron
Vitamin A (good for the eyes)
Vitamin C (strengthens the immune system)
Vitamin E (protects against free radicals)
lots of carbohydrates with a high fiber content, which keeps you full for longer.
Basically, you can eat sweet potatoes raw and benefit from the many good ingredients. However, it contains oxalic acid, which can be harmful to humans.

Oxalic Acid in Sweet Potatoes – What Does It Mean?

Sweet potatoes contain quite a lot of oxalic acid. This damages the kidneys, but can be broken down by boiling or long soaking. At the same time, oxalic acid inhibits the absorption of magnesium, calcium and iron. For this reason, you should be careful not to consume excessive amounts of foods high in oxalic acid. So you can eat sweet potatoes raw, but in moderation and not by the kilo.

The combination is also important: For example, calcium promotes oxalic acid absorption. So when you combine calcium-rich foods like broccoli with sweet potatoes, the oxalic acid will be balanced. You can also combine kale, soy strips or sesame seeds.

According to the Bavarian consumer advice center, it is not a problem to eat sweet potatoes raw from time to time: “Unlike table potatoes, sweet potatoes can also be served raw as finger food or in a salad,” says nutrition expert Silke Noll from the consumer advice center.

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Cooking Tips

Peel Sweet Potatoes: is it Necessary?

Peeling sweet potatoes is not necessary in most cases. In this guide, we explain why unpeeled sweet potatoes are even healthier.

Even if the name suggests otherwise, sweet potatoes are not related to ordinary potatoes: They taste different, look different, belong to a different plant family and can almost always be eaten with their skins – unlike regular potatoes, which contain toxins such as glycoalkaloids can stick in the shell.

By not peeling your sweet potatoes, you not only save time and avoid food waste. You are also doing something good for your health. We’ll tell you why unpeeled sweet potatoes are healthier.

Sweet potatoes: Even healthier without peeling

The sweet potato is full of valuable nutritional values: the roots are rich in fiber, minerals such as potassium and magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin C and are also a good source of vegetable protein

You should therefore avoid peeling sweet potatoes for the following reasons:
In and directly under the skin there are many important nutrients of the healthy root. For example, the peel is particularly rich in fiber and vitamins
In addition, the skin of the sweet potato also contains phenolic acid, a secondary plant substance. Phenolic acid has an antioxidant effect and thus protects against free radicals.
According to a 2016 study, the peel even contains substances that can prevent cancer.
Especially when you cook sweet potatoes, the skin also protects the nutrients inside the root.
Especially with sweet potato fries or wedges from the oven, the skin forms a crust that not only looks pretty, but also tastes delicious.
You can also leave the skin on when grilling sweet potatoes.
Not peeling saves you another step and therefore time.
In addition, it is also more sustainable not to peel sweet potatoes: by using the whole root, you avoid unnecessary waste.

Don’t peel sweet potatoes: You should pay attention to this

If you want to eat sweet potatoes with skin, you should only pay attention to the following points:
Whenever possible, buy organic sweet potatoes. This is not only good for the environment, but also guarantees you healthy vegetables without pesticide residues. Pesticides can otherwise possibly be deposited on the shell.
Wash the roots thoroughly before processing them: it is best to clean them under water with a vegetable brush. For a particularly thorough cleaning, you can also use baking soda
Cut off about ½ an inch from both ends of the sweet potatoes. The ends often taste bitter.
If the sweet potato has already formed sprouts, you should cut them off before eating.

Peel sweet potatoes: This is the best way

Depending on your taste, it can sometimes still make sense to peel the sweet potatoes – for example if you want to mash them without any pieces. In this case you have two options:
Either you peel the root vegetables in the classic way with a vegetable peeler, as you would with other vegetables. Of course you can also use a sharp knife – but then you should be particularly careful to only cut away the peel and not even more from the healthy root.
Or you can boil the sweet potatoes whole first, including the skin, and then remove them. Once cooked, sweet potatoes are particularly easy to peel. Most of the time you can just pull the shell off. Another advantage of the method: the shell protects the nutrients during cooking.
Either way, don’t throw away the bowl. You can use them in vegetable broth or soups. Alternatively, you can feed them to animals like horses or rabbits, or at least compost them.

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Food

Pineapple: The Sweet Superfood Under Review

Prickly leaves, brown-yellow skin, yellow, sweet flesh – for many, the pineapple is the epitome of exotic tropical fruit. In fruit salad, on pizza, as dried fruit or fresh, it has enriched our menu for many years. But what many do not know: their cultivation is problematic.
The pineapple not only tastes good, but due to its valuable ingredients it is said to be particularly healthy, help you lose weight and even fight cancer. But is everything that is said about the pineapple really true? And what about the tropical fruit in terms of sustainability and eco-balance? We have subjected the superfood classic to a close check – and discovered some less pleasant facts.

Interesting facts about the pineapple plant

The herbaceous perennial pineapple plant, Latin name ananas comosus, belongs to the bromeliad family. It was originally native to Central America and the Caribbean – the term “pineapple” was derived from the language of the Guarani Indians. Today, however, the fruit is grown in all tropical regions worldwide.

In the center of the plant is a stake stem that is partially buried in the ground and serves as an anchor. At the top of this stem, a flower stalk with many small individual flowers forms every year. The pineapple ripens from the infructescence (flower stalk) after three to four months. The tropical fruit therefore also consists of many fruits fused together, which is reflected in the structure of the peel. Edible pineapple fruits are sterile and contain no seeds, the plants propagate via side shoots.

The pineapple has very few and small roots, it gets water and nutrients from the rainwater. This allows it to grow on almost any substrate, but when cultivated in plantations it is heavily fertilized so that it produces large fruits. The pineapple is usually harvested unripe and with the inedible, prickly leaf crown; it ripens during transport or storage. Ripe fruits can be recognized by their aromatic smell or by the fact that the skin gives a little when you press them with your finger.

Ingredients and calories of pineapple

The tropical fruit can come up with some valuable ingredients. The first thing to mention is the high vitamin C content, which supports our immune system, especially during the main pineapple season, in winter. There are also minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. Because the exotic fruit consists of 85 percent water, it is almost fat-free; their calories come from their fructose. However, the sweet taste is only very moderate at 59 kcal per 100 grams.

How healthy is pineapple actually?

The short answer is that pineapples are generally very healthy. The exotic fruit is low in calories, but contains vitamin C and minerals that make it a healthy snack between meals. But the tropical fruit is also ideal for spicing up various sweet and savory dishes.

In addition, the pineapple brings along secondary plant substances and active ingredients such as enzymes that have a positive effect on the metabolism, the psyche and health. For example, the tropical fruit promotes digestion and stimulates the immune system. Even the canned fruits still contain a relatively large amount of these healthy components. This is even more true for pineapple juice, as long as it’s freshly squeezed and not loaded with preservatives.

Things are a bit different with dried fruit. Due to the dehydration, they are very high in sugar and therefore high in calories. How many of the healthy ingredients are lost in the drying process cannot be said exactly. The same applies to pineapple capsules, pineapple extract or powder. Therefore, you should always reach for fresh fruit if you want to do something good for yourself.

The active ingredients of pineapple: enzyme, salicylates and phytosterols

The tropical fruit is said to have many positive effects. She should …

help you lose weight by burning fat,
strengthen the immune system,
help as an anti-cancer agent,
act against inflammation and swelling as well as blood thinning,
be aphrodisiac
and brighten the general mood.
Various active ingredients in the fruit are responsible for this, above all the enzyme bromelain. Bromelain is actually a mixture of several proteases that occur naturally in the human body as digestive enzymes and break down protein. Clinical studies have shown that bromelain is actually effective against swelling and edema, such as after surgery. In addition, a blood-thinning and anti-inflammatory effect of the enzyme could also be proven in studies without any doubt. To date, there have been only promising test-tube experiments or case studies to cure cancer with bromelain. (2012 meta-study) Pineapple also contains salicylates (including the active ingredient in aspirin), which support the enzyme’s anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning effects.

And when it comes to mood lifting, study results also suggest positive things to come from the tropical fruit. Pineapple contains phytosterols such as serotonin and melatonin, which are also found in antidepressants. In addition, pineapple also seems to strengthen the body’s own antioxidants – but further research is needed here as well.

Cut and peel pineapple properly

The tropical fruit has its pitfalls: the prickly leaves and the rough skin and the “core” act as a deterrent at first. But instead of reaching for the canned pineapple right away, try our instructions on how to peel and cut pineapple correctly.

First you cut off the crown of the leaf and the bottom of the fruit from the ripe pineapple. Then you stand the fruit upright on a work surface and cut off the skin from top to bottom all around. You should also remove the deeper, hard “eyes”. Now you can either slice the fruit lengthwise, leaving the stalk in the middle. Or cut through round discs from which you then remove the hard center piece.

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Food

Persimmon – Sweet Fruit is so Useful

Persimmons are sweet fruits that are mostly available in winter. But how healthy are persimmons? We’ll show you which nutrients are in it and how to eat persimmons properly.
Bright orange skin, sweet flesh and the shape of a large tomato: this is the persimmon, also known as persimmon. It is the fruit of the persimmon tree and is one of the oldest cultivated plants.

Nutritional values ​​and Co.: This is how healthy the persimmon is

Persimmons are not only delicious, but also healthy. While they have a little more calories than some other winter fruits like oranges, they also provide you with a lot of nutrients.
Nutritional values ​​per 100 grams of fruit:

Kilocalories: 70 kcal
Protein: 0.58g
Fat: 0.19 g
Carbohydrates: 18.59 g
of which sugar: 12.53 g
Fiber: 3.6 g

Persimmons contain a relatively large amount of sugar, especially fructose, but also glucose. This makes persimmons an ideal post-workout snack, because the fruit quickly recharges the glucose stores after exercise and thus gives you new energy.

Thanks to the high fiber content, the snack also fills you up well and contributes to healthy digestion.
Minerals per 100 grams of fruit (selection):

Calcium: 8 mg
Magnesium: 9 mg
Potassium: 161 mg
Sodium: 1 mg
Phosphorus: 17 mg
Vitamins per 100 grams of fruit (selection):

Vitamin C: 7.5 mg
Folic acid: 8 µg
Beta carotene (provitamin A): 253 µg

The “fruit of the gods” has a large number of minerals and vitamins. The high content of provitamin A is particularly striking. Provitamin A is the precursor of vitamin A found in animal and vegetable foods. Vitamin A is an essential vitamin which, among other things, supports the visual process and is involved in many growth processes. The potassium present in the persimmon takes over functions in the energy metabolism and regulates the circulation.

Persimmons also contain a relatively large amount of tannins. These are vegetable tanning agents that ensure that the unripe persimmons taste tart and often leave a furry mouthfeel. When the fruit is ripe, the tannin content is lower. Incidentally, the kaki varieties Sharon fruit and Persimon contain fewer tannins and therefore do not cause a furry feeling.

This is how you eat the persimmons correctly

Persimmons have a fairly thick and firm skin that is not always edible. As a result, many peel the fruit and cut into wedges like apples, or cut the top open and scoop out the flesh like a kiwi. The cultivated varieties such as Sharon fruit have a thinner skin that can also be eaten.

Persimmons taste sweet. They are therefore perfect for naturally sweetening your morning muesli or porridge. You can also make a delicious cake with the fruit, or use it to make jam, jelly, syrup or compote.

If the sweetness of the fruit is too intense, you can soften it with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or use Sharon fruit instead. This one is less cute.

Persimmons also taste good as a sweet, fresh element in salads or curries.

Tips:

If the persimmon is not yet ripe, you can store it next to bananas or apples for a few days. These secrete a “ripening gas” which stimulates fruit to ripen faster.
You can determine the ripeness of the fruit by applying light pressure to the persimmon with your fingers: if the skin gives way, the fruit is ripe.
The persimmons quickly develop brown spots. However, these are not necessarily a sign of rot, but are due to the high sugar content.

How sustainable is the kaki ?

Persimmons originally come from Asia and today most of the growing areas are in Korea, China and Japan. But now kakis are also grown in California, New Zealand and Israel. The persimmons that we get in this country mostly come from Italy or Spain. So kakis are not really regional. They sometimes have to travel long distances before they make it onto the local supermarket shelves. This sometimes produces large amounts of climate-damaging CO2. When shopping, make sure that you buy kakis from European cultivation areas in order to improve the climate balance somewhat.

Persimmon trees are rarely attacked by pests. Thus, the use of chemical pesticides is not necessary, so that the cultivation of persimmons is not harmful to humans, the environment and animals. In order to avoid these completely, you can pay attention to organic persimmons.

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Food

Sweet Revolution – Stand Up for Fair Cocoa!

From biscuits to bars to pralines, the selection of chocolate products is huge, as is the demand: consumers in Europe eat around nine kilograms per capita and per year. Often without knowing the questionable conditions under which cocoa is grown. To change that, Fairtrade is launching the Sweet Revolution, a protest campaign for fair cocoa. Join us!

In everyday life, many chocolate lovers think more about the calorie content of their favorite bar of chocolate than about the origin of the cocoa beans. Extreme poverty, exploitation and child labor are part of the bitter reality of cocoa cultivation. About 14 million people make their living from the production of cocoa – mainly smallholder families who cultivate less than five hectares of land. The small area under cultivation alone drives many of them into poverty, so that they can hardly live from cocoa cultivation alone. In addition, there are extreme price fluctuations: raw cocoa is traded on the world market in London and New York, where there is always speculation on prices. All too often the producers have to sell their cocoa below value.

West Africa, the heart of the chocolate industry

Most of the world’s cocoa – over 60 percent – comes from West Africa, especially from Ghana and the Ivory Coast. In both countries, exploitative child labor is a major problem. Experts from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago (NORC) estimate that there are over two million children involved in cocoa cultivation. Child labor is more widespread today than it was ten years ago.

The chocolate industry has been promising for years that it will fight child exploitation. After all, who wants to enjoy chocolate for which children are sent to the fields instead of to school?

Cacao cultivation: hard work that hardly pays off

One of the main causes of exploitative child labor is the far too low income. Cocoa producers in Ivory Coast earn just 67 cents on average per capita and per day. This is the result of a study by Fairtrade International. The study not only calculates what farmers actually earn, but also what they would have to get in order to receive a living income. In other words, an income that covers the cost of food, water, housing, education, health, transport, clothing and other essential needs – including saving for emergencies. For this, the workers would have to receive at least 2.13 euros per capita and per day.

Even Fairtrade-certified cocoa farmers still get too little. In order to benefit from fair trade, cooperatives usually have to sell at least 30 to 40 percent of their goods under fair trade conditions. Although the market for fair trade cocoa has developed enormously in recent years, demand should increase significantly. Fairtrade cocoa currently has a market share of 17 percent.

You think that’s not enough? Then join us and stand up for fair cocoa.

Take part and win until December 6th

Together with Fairtrade you can support the people who pick the cocoa beans for your chocolate. In an online competition, Fairtrade is looking for the best protest slogans for fair cocoa enjoyment. With just a few clicks and a little creativity, you can become an online activist for sustainable cocoa yourself. It’s that easy:

Get creative and design your message for more fairness in the cocoa sector alone, with your friends, acquaintances, at school, in a club or at university.
Share your creative protest slogan via social media.
Activate your environment and collect votes for your slogan. The slogan with the most votes wins.

The internationally renowned street artist Boogie interprets the ten best slogans on a protest wall, the Wall of Fair. With this we will make your protest against unfair cocoa trade on December 10th, the day of human rights, heard in the Berlin government district. Boogie even pays a personal visit to the most creative slogan author and creates an individual work of art live on site.

Second and third place winners can also look forward to smaller boogie artworks of their own protest slogan. Fairtrade surprise boxes packed with fair chocolate products are raffled off for places four to ten.

Dah Oha – cocoa farmer, mother and power woman

Stories like that of the cocoa farmer Dah Oho Gboklela from Gogoko, a small village about 50 kilometers from the Ivorian coast, show the difference that fair trade can make for producers: Due to the early death of his father, Dah Oho has to take responsibility early on. Because the debt money is too expensive, she begins an apprenticeship as a hairdresser before taking over the family’s small cocoa field together with her brother. When she marries, she is granted her own piece of land – not a matter of course in the Ivory Coast, where only 20 percent of landowners are women. She joins the fair trade cooperative ECAKOOG, gets more money for her cocoa and gets tips on how to fertilize properly. This increases earnings and thus earnings. With the help of the Fairtrade premium money, the cooperative also supports its members financially in financing school fees.

For every tonne of cocoa that Dah Oho sells under fair trade conditions, she receives a fixed minimum price, which must not be undercut. Not even if market prices collapse. The minimum prices cover the costs of sustainable production and enable necessary investments in new plants, crop protection or equipment. However, the money is not enough to secure the existence of the family. Like many cocoa producers, Dah Oho can only sell part of their harvest on fair terms. The remaining cocoa is traded on the exchange at the prices specified there. A business that is hardly worthwhile, as the mother of four children explains. She wishes for a better future for her children away from the cocoa trade. They should go to school, become civil servants and later not have to go to the fields – at least not when prices are so low.

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