Chipper Snacks: Fall Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

These sweet potato fries are a tasty Fall Recipe to try during the school year… especially if they’re crispy, coated in gluten-free panko, and an aromatic mix of parmesan, sage and garlic!

They’re so easy you can make them in minutes. Your kids, friends and family will adore you, and you can rest assured that you’ve given them a healthy snack or side dish. Find a list of health benefits gained from eating Sweet Potatoes below!

Ingredients:

(based on 2 potatoes)

• 1 sweet potato per person

• 1/2 cup of gluten-free panko

• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 4 or 5 leaves sage, finely chopped

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F.

2. Cut potatoes in half and then in 1/4-inch steak fry slices.

3. Place in a large mixing bowl, add the oil and toss until all are well coated (add more if needed).

4. Season with salt and pepper and toss.

5. Mix together the panko, parmesan, sage and garlic and place on a plate or leave on the cutting board.

6. Dip each fry into the mixture on both sides. Press the mixture down with your hands to help it stick.

7. Place fries in a single layer on a baking sheet that’s been lightly coated with olive oil or place a sheet of parchment paper on the tray and then layer.

8. Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through and crispy.

9. Enjoy! 🙂

Not only are sweet potatoes readily available, inexpensive, and delicious, there are many other reasons to love these yummy vegetables.  Here are 9:

1.  They are high in vitamin B6.  Vitamin B6 helps reduce the chemical homocysteine in our bodies.  Homocysteine has been linked with degenerative diseases, including the prevention of heart attacks.

2. They are a good source of vitamin C.  While most people know that vitamin C is important to help ward off cold and flu viruses, few people are aware that this crucial vitamin plays an important role in bone and tooth formation, digestion, and blood cell formation. It helps accelerate wound healing, produces collagen which helps maintain skin’s youthful elasticity, and is essential to helping us cope with stress. It even appears to help protect our body against toxins that may be linked to cancer.

3.  They contain Vitamin D which is critical for immune system and overall health at this time of year.  Both a vitamin and a hormone, vitamin D is primarily made in our bodies as a result of getting adequate sunlight. You may have heard about seasonal affective disorder (or SAD, as it is also called), which is linked to inadequate sunlight and therefore a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D plays an important role in our energy levels, moods, and helps to build healthy bones, heart, nerves, skin, and teeth, and it supports the thyroid gland.

4.  Sweet potatoes contain iron. Most people are aware that we need the mineral iron to have adequate energy, but iron plays other important roles in our body, including red and white blood cell production, resistance to stress, proper immune functioning, and the metabolizing of protein, among other things.

5.  Sweet potatoes are a good source of magnesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral. Magnesium is necessary for healthy artery, blood, bone, heart, muscle, and nerve function, yet experts estimate that approximately 80 percent of the population in North America may be deficient in this important mineral.

6.  They are a source of potassium, one of the important electrolytes that help regulate heartbeat and nerve signals. Like the other electrolytes, potassium performs many essential functions, some of which include relaxing muscle contractions, reducing swelling, and protecting and controlling the activity of the kidneys.

7. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet-tasting but their natural sugars are slowly released into the bloodstream, helping to ensure a balanced and regular source of energy, without the blood sugar spikes linked to fatigue and weight gain.

8. Their rich orange color indicates that they are high in carotenoids like beta carotene and other carotenoids, which is the precursor to vitamin A in your body.  Carotenoids help strengthen our eyesight and boost our immunity to disease, they are powerful antioxidants that help ward off cancer and protect against the effects of aging. Studies at Harvard University of more than 124,000 people showed a 32 percent reduction in risk of lung cancer in people who consumed a variety of carotenoid-rich foods as part of their regular diet.2 Another study of women who had completed treatment for early stage breast cancer conducted by researchers at Women’s Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) found that women with the highest blood concentrations of carotenoids had the least likelihood of cancer recurrence.

9. There are versatile. Try them roasted, puréed, steamed, baked, or grilled. You can add them to soups and stews, or grill and place on top of leafy greens for a delicious salad. I enjoy grilling them with onions and red peppers for amazing sandwich or wrap ingredients.  Puree them and add to smoothies and baked goods.