Eating sweet potatoes instead of rice: a safe weight loss solution

White rice is almost the main ingredient of a meal. But when you want to lose weight, replacing some or all of the rice with complex starch sources is a safe and scientific choice.

When it comes to the glycemic index, sweet potatoes are often rated higher than white rice. This is because boiled sweet potatoes have a low to moderate glycemic index, while white rice usually has a higher glycemic index, according to the US website Eating Well .

Sweet potatoes are one of the best options to replace rice in meals.

PHOTO: AI

This means that boiled sweet potatoes help blood sugar rise more slowly after meals, avoiding blood sugar spikes. Too high blood sugar can easily lead to excess fat storage or increased hunger. In addition, boiled or lightly baked sweet potatoes provide more vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and especially more fiber than white rice.

Many studies have shown that people who eat sweet potatoes in their meals tend to consume fewer calories and less starch than those who eat rice. What is special is that people who eat sweet potatoes still feel as full as those who eat rice.

Therefore, replacing white rice with sweet potatoes will help control total calories effectively, while reducing white starch which can easily increase blood sugar.

Sweet potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps increase the volume of food in the intestines, slowing digestion, so people feel full longer. A medium cup of sweet potatoes contains about 4 grams of fiber, enough to reduce hunger between meals.

In addition, sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin A precursors, vitamin C, potassium, manganese and other antioxidant compounds. They have the effect of reducing oxidative stress, reducing inflammation, protecting cells and supporting metabolism. In particular, sweet potatoes also contain resistant starch, especially when boiled and then cooled or boiled for a long time. This type of resistant starch will feed beneficial bacteria when entering the intestine.

To maximize the benefits of eating sweet potatoes instead of rice, people need to prepare them properly. You should prioritize cooking sweet potatoes by boiling, steaming, or lightly baking instead of frying, baking for a long time, or cooking with a lot of oil. For example, after boiling, you should not peel the potatoes immediately, but let them cool or refrigerate them after boiling. This method helps increase resistant starch, and peel them when you eat them.

The best time to eat sweet potatoes is in the morning and at noon. Because potatoes are rich in fiber and digest slowly, they will help provide stable energy for the whole day. The body's metabolism will be slower at night. If you eat them in the evening, you should eat them early or combine vegetables and protein. Avoid eating them too late in large quantities because they will accumulate fat, according to Eating Well .

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/an-khoai-lang-thay-com-giai-phap-giam-can-an-toan-185250925165001449.htm