A few years ago, I was making a pot of lentil soup and realized that I didn't have any potatoes. I did have a large sweet potato, however, and I decided to chop it up, throw it in and hope for the best. I was surprised to find that the sweet potato was such a delicious complement to the lentil soup. Sweet potatoes (which are also called "yams" in the United States) are rich in beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B6, manganese, and fiber. They are also loaded with antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. I still love and eat regular potatoes, but sometimes I try to substitute part or all of the potatoes in a recipe with sweet potatoes or yams for an added nutritional boost. Keep in mind that as sweet potatoes cook, they have a tendency to sweeten whatever they are being cooked with, so if you add them to soup, you may need to adjust your usual seasonings a little (for example, when I add them to lentil soup, I add extra lemon juice to balance the overall flavor of the dish).
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