Sweet potato fries

When a craving for some carbs comes, it’s a good idea to have a good Paleo alternative to satisfy that craving. The Paleo diet doesn’t have to be extremely low carb, as long as your carb source is natural and was available to our ancestors. Potatoes are usually out of the question because they contain toxins that are in much higher concentration when the potato is in it’s raw state. Therefore, potatoes where probably never eaten raw and are a somewhat new addition to our diet. They are a member of the nightshade family (including tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplants), which are know to cause intestinal problems to some people even when cooked.

If you miss the comfort of certain foods like French fries, you’ll love this recipes. I personally find that the sweet potato version of it tastes even better than regular French fries. As with almost anything, don’t go overboard with sweet potatoes. Even though they are a paleo tuber, they still are very high in carbohydrates and are better eaten occasionally. Sweet potatoes are also a good thing to have post workout when a peak in insulin could actually be beneficial if you’re trying to gain muscle mass. If you’re trying to lose weight or lean out, I would stay away from sources of carbs like sweet potatoes.

Did you know that 200g of sweet potatoes (about 1 cup) gives you 769% of the daily recommended dose of Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene? Beta-carotene is the form that doesn’t lead to toxicity, so you can’t really eat too much of it. Sweet potatoes are also an amazing source of Vitamin B6, potassium, Vitamin C and manganese.

This recipe is extremely easy. In fact, it’s simply baking the sweet potatoes will oil and spices. You can also use carrots instead of sweet potatoes.

You will need:

• 2 Lb of sweet potatoes cut in large wedges. You can leave the skin on or peal it, I prefer to leave it on.
• 1/4 cup of olive oil, coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter). You can also do something like 1/8 of a cup of olive oil and 1/8 of a cup of coconut oil, this way you make sure your olive oil doesn’t burn
• 2-3 teaspoons or your favorite fresh or dried herb (thyme and rosemary a well suited for baking because they won’t burn as easily as other herbs and will leave a great taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste. You can easily omit the salt, but it is a great addition if you don’t mind it.

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 425 F. In a bowl, coat evenly the sweet potato wedges with the oil and the herbs.
• Add the salt and pepper
• Place the wedges on a baking tray in a single layer so they cook evenly
• Roast to sweet potato fries for about 20 minutes
• Test with the tip of a knife and see if the knife easily slips in. If not, bake for another 5 minutes and test again

That’s it! One of the simplest recipe out there, but oh so satisfying. You can easy roast just any root vegetable using this method.