Let’s do some real-talk for a moment, shall we? This time of year is rough.

Here in Seattle it’s dark, rainy, cold, and everywhere I go right now I am constantly bombarded by sugar and homemade sweets. But, I have a secret weapon to help me resist: sweet potatoes.

It may sound silly, but adding in naturally sweet foods to your diet like carrots, corn, yams, and sweet potatoes helps to curb sugar cravings. Sweet potatoes and yams are naturally sweet, but their sugars are slowly released into our bloodstream, which means we don’t experience a blood-sugar spike like we would after eating refined sugar.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamins A, C, B6, iron, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants, making them loaded with health benefits. With the holidays just around the corner, this is the perfect time to indulge in some naturally sweet foods!

Some of my favorite sweet potato recipes include:

• Roasted Sweet Potatoes (pictured above)
• Spicy Sweet Potato Hummus
• Spicy Sweet Potato Salad
• Spicy Peanut and Sweet Potato Soup
• Spicy Indian Sweet Potato
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Shallots and Crispy Kale Ribbons
• Sweet Potato Latkes with Chutney Sour Cream and Curried Onion-Apple-White Bean Topping
• Moroccan Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas
• White Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers
• Sweet Potato Tofu Pizza
• Sweet Potato, Red Cabbage and Kelp Noodle Bowl with Rich Miso Dressing
• Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

What are your favorite ways to enjoy sweet potatoes?