How? Save time and energy by batch-cooking a few sweet potatoes, and maybe some winter squash for use throughout the week.

Why have cooked sweet potatoes and some squash in your fridge? Well, first of all, because they’re LOADED with health benefits. Abundant research shows these foods:

• are rich in the anti-oxidant vitamin A (aka retinol); one sweet potato contains almost 700 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin A.
• lower blood pressure; they contain an amino acid called N-acetylcysteine (NAC), which has been shown to reduce blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels.
• lower cancer risk; they deactivate free radicals, preventing them from damaging healthy cells.
• protect eye health; they contain carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which fight eye disease by filtering out harmful UV rays and other damaging substances that cause macular degeneration—one of today’s leading causes of blindness.
• are powerful stress-fighters; they have a high magnesium content (a crucial element that reduces tension and anxiety). Studies show that today’s increase in chronic depression is due in part to a rise in magnesium shortage in modern diets.
• protect against stomach and peptic ulcers due to their high anti-oxidant count.
• effectively fight acute and chronic internal inflammation because they’re rich in anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants.
• contain anti-aging phyto-nutrients; anti-oxidants (especially vitamin C and carotenoids) and phyto-nutrients fight cell damage by scavenging harmful free radicals that age cells.
• regulate blood sugar levels; packed with fiber, vitamin B6, beta-carotene, and manganese—they regulate blood sugar levels, keeping them stable throughout the day.
• promote healthy bones; they balance “remodeling” (bones constantly being broken down and rebuilt) and keep the body’s calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in check.
• help detoxify the body; they’re rich in fiber, which helps eliminate harmful toxins an

You can see how wise it is to include sweet potatoes and winter squashes into the diet on a regular basis.

And here’s the second point: if something is easy to do, we’re more inclined to do it. So, keeping these foods cooked and available in the fridge means we’ll likely be eating them throughout the week.

An electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot®, for instance) makes this easy to do. Poke a few holes in your scrubbed sweet potatoes and squash. Then place the rack in the pot bottom, add 1 cup cold water, and layer your veggies onto the rack. Close the lid, set the gauge to SEALING. Manually set the time for 12-15 minutes. Allow the pressure to slow release. All total, it takes about 30-35 minutes to cook a batch.

Once cooked and cooled, peel and refrigerate them in an air-tight container. They’ll keep for at least a week. I cook a variety and mash them all together, and then I mix at least one cup into my soups, stews and smoothies each day. They’re also a delicious side dish when served with seasoning and a little butter.

Speaking of smoothies, I’m all about making health EASY, and including sweet potatoes and squash into a smoothie couldn’t be easier. I’ll close with a delicious recipe for a sweet potato smoothie, from RN Michelle, of www.healthiersteps.com: