Over the last few months I’ve gotten many requests for more information on sweet potatoes. It’s interesting to hear that there’s no real middle ground on them—people either know all about them and use them all the time, or they’re just now discovering them.

I’m actually speaking of the orange variety—sometimes known as yams. The white and purple sweet potatoes are also extremely healthy and tasty, but the orange spud is sweeter and tends to have more uses.

But back to discovering. If you haven’t already, you sure should. This food is low in sodium, and very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It is also a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6 and potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and manganese.

And for those dealing with insulin resistance and glycemic issues, get this: The glycemic load is only 17 (the typical target total is 100/day or less)! And to add to that good news, is the fact that sweet potatoes are strongly anti-inflammatory. Their inflammation factor is 378 (the typical target net is 50/day or higher)! Also, a typical sweet potato has between 96 and 180 calories (depending on size and how you doctor it up) and of those calories only 3 are from fat. This is truly an exceptional food to keep those blood-sugar-blues at bay.

If you’d like to know more about how to use this amazingly good, versatile, and so healthy vegetable, here are a few quick serving ideas to get you started:

Purée cooked sweet potatoes with bananas, cinnamon, and pure maple syrup (the REAL thing, please—nothing with high fructose corn syrup in it). Top it off with chopped walnuts.

Steam cubed sweet potatoes, tofu, and broccoli. Mix in raisins and serve hot or cold with a berried vinaigrette dressing.

Baked sweet potatoes are delicious even when served cold and therefore make a great food to pack in to-go lunches.

And speaking of baked sweet potatoes, consider treating them as you would your typical Russet. Load ‘em up. Just like a white potato, the sweet spud works well with grated cheese, fried bacon pieces, and even cream cheese or sour cream.

Although desserts made with sweet potatoes are an autumn favorite, they can be enjoyed year round. So consider making sweet potato pie, bread, muffins or pudding.

This last suggestion leads me to a wonderful discovery—a custard dessert. This recipe combines sweet potatoes and bananas to make a flavorful low fat custard made with evaporated skim milk and no added fat. Each ½-cup serving is only 144 calories and only 2 grams total fat. Unbelievably good!

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