Ahh, the still underrated sweet potato juice. Ever wonder why we consume so many white potatoes and so little sweet potatoes? Or why we juice so many delicious sweet root veggies – i.e. beets, carrots – while sweet potatoes go unnoticed?
If you haven’t yet, these are questions worth pondering. Especially since sweet potatoes trump white potatoes in nearly every way. And they even give other root veggies a run for their money. Here’s why you should pick sweet potatoes more often!
5 Sweet Potato Juice Benefits
On the dinner table, there’s good reason to opt for sweet potatoes over regular potatoes. They’re lower in calories, provide almost as much protein, have fewer total carbs than white potatoes, and are hands-down more nutritionally dense – with just one medium-sized sweet potato providing around 400% of your daily requirement of vitamin A (not to mention the sweet potato is higher in calcium and vitamin C).
And when it comes to juicing, you should definitely swap your usual carrots or beetroot for sweet potatoes every once in awhile. Not only does that provide diversity in both taste and nutritional benefits, but sweet potatoes also come packed with a bunch of yummy health perks, like…
- Happy, Healthy Eyes: As you already by know, sweet potatoes are an exceptionally rich source of vitamin A, which helps protect the surface of the eye and is essential for keeping your eyes strong and healthy.
- Supple, Youthful Skin: Vitamin A is a major league skin care vitamin – and it’s incredibly multi-functional. What do I mean by that? Well, since Vitamin A works by normalizing skin functions, it’s helpful for treating a variety of skin conditions. Here’s a little look at what it does for your skin…
- Repairs and thickens the cellular structure of the epidermis and actually increases the deposition of collagen, thus slowing down the appearance of wrinkles
- Helps fight acne and blemishes by improving blood flow (great for rosacea) and decreasing sebum production
- Keeps skin moist and supple – rough, dry skin is a common sign of vitamin A deficiency and can be combated by upping your Vitamin A intake through whole foods
- Boosts the Immune System: Know what else is great about Vitamin A? They actually help increase T cell activity in the body, which is great news since T cells are fight infection.
- Comes with Anti-Cancer Benefits: There is a very unique protein called sporamin which makes up 80% of all the protein in sweet potatoes. Research shows that these proteins have antioxidant properties and may help protect against cancer.
- Help Your Wounds Heal Faster: Sweet potatoes contain a special protein called fibrinogen that stimulates the system’s antibodies to close off wounds faster by speeding up the time it takes for blood to clot.
Sweet potatoes are also an awesome way to add a little sweetness to your juice recipes – especially if you’d like the sweetness without spiking blood sugar levels. You see, despite their sweetness, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index and are packed with natural sugars like sucrose that can be easily metabolized by the body.
8 Delicious Sweet Potato Juice Recipes
So ready to juice some up? Here’s a roundup of yummy sweet potato juice recipes to try!
Sweet Potato Beet Delight
Give yourself a feel-good detox with this oh-so-delightful sweet potato juice recipe that’s sure to not only leave just your taste-buds happy, but your whole body as well.
What you need:
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 beet
- 1 green apple
- 4 strawberries
- 1 plum
- Cinnamon (powder)
Preparation:
Juice all the veggies and fruits. Stir and sprinkle cinnamon on top. If you do not have a juicer you can use a blender. Peel the sweet potato and beet. Chop the fruits and veggies into big chucks and place in blender. Liquify on high until smooth.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.atthefirehydrant.com/2013/10/20/became-juicing-believer-sweet-potato-beet-delight-juice-recipe/
“I cannot deny that living on juice for three days made me unhappy, but I also can’t deny how less bloated I felt and how much energy I had after just three days. What surprised me the most is that the juices, even the eerie green ones, tasted so good. My absolute favorite so far is the sweet potato beet juice with a dash of cinnamon on top. It’s so good and incredibly refreshing.”
Sweet Potato Pear Juice
Satisfy your belly with this delicious sweet potato and pear juice recipe. With chia seeds added in the mix, this juice would be great to aid for weight-loss.
What you need:
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 pear
- 1/4 cup-1/2 cup almond milk (unsweetened or vanilla almond milk is great too)
- dash of cinnamon
- spoonful of chia seeds
Preparation:
Juice the sweet potato and pear and stir in the other ingredients.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-weekly-juice-doubled.html
“I was surprised at how filling this juice was, and it’s now my go-to after yoga fuel.”
Sweet Potato Smoothie
Try this delicious recipe to put a little more “sweet” to your sweet potato juice palette.
What you need:
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed (then chilled)
- 1 1/2 cups cold sweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt, optional
- 1 tablespoon raw honey, optional
Preparation:
Serves 2
- Pour all ingredients into a blender.
- Puree mixture until smooth, adding more almond milk (1 to 2 tablespoons at a time) as needed, if mixture is too thick.
- Pour mixture into 2 glasses and serve.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.spoonforkbacon.com/2013/09/sweet-potato-smoothie/
“With this simple Sweet Potato Smoothie recipe you can use leftover sweet potatoes that were possibly once destined for carb indulging side dishes. You can slurp this smoothie down for breakfast or dessert or anytime.”
Better Than Ice Cream Sweet Potato Smoothie
Some are probably asking: “How can it be better than ice cream?” Can’t believe it? Then try this recipe out and see.
What you need:
I suggest using organic whenever possible
- ½ cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed (no skin)
- ½ large banana or 1 small banana (Try freezing your bananas in small chunks before adding to smoothies. It’s not necessary, but results in an icy cold, thick smoothie.)
- 1 medjool date, pitted
- 1 cup almond milk
- ¼ cup purified water
- 2-3 ice cubes
- Dash of cinnamon
Preparation:
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour into a glass and dust with additional cinnamon, if desired.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-13887/a-sweet-potato-smoothie-that-tastes-like-ice-cream.html
“Sweet potatoes provide a satisfying sweetness but won’t spike your blood sugar like other types of potatoes. They’re also packed with nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, magnesium, and calcium. I like to use sweet potatoes to make a healthy alternative to an ice cream shake. This version is satisfying, delicious, and provides an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory boost.”
Festive Sweet Potato Vegetable Juice
This simple sweet potato juice recipe is perfect for the festive season. With ginger added to the mix, it gives it that warming factor that you’re sure to enjoy while enjoying the breeze of the cold season.
What you need:
- 1 small or medium sweet potato, cut into quarters if necessary for it to fit through the juicer
- 2 carrots
- 1 large (or two small) red bell pepper
- 2 large stalks celery
- 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger
Preparation:
Serves 1 – 2
Run all ingredients through your juicer, and serve.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.thefullhelping.com/festive-sweet-potato-vegetable-juice/
The ginger in this juice makes it warming, and the color is so festive for the holiday season. I encourage you to try it! Sweet potatoes are great source of beta carotene and Vitamin C, and the red pepper is very high in Vitamin C. Consider skipping the packet of powdered, flavored Vitamin C and sipping on something truly delicious.
Sweet Potato Pie Juice
If you’re a fan of sweet potato pie, then why not have it in juice form? You’ll get all the goodness minus the calories…
What you need:
- 4 Carrots
- ½ Sweet Potato
- ½ Red Capsicum (Bell Pepper)
- 1 Fuji Apple
- Sprinkling of Cinnamon
- Sprinkling of Nutmeg
Preparation:
Prep time: 10 minutes | Serves 1
Send everything through your juicer (except the spices) and stir in the spices thoroughly at the end.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.thepescetarianandthepig.com/2014/05/19/sweet-potato-pie-juice-cleanse-day-6/
“This recipe for sweet potato pie juice tastes indulgent, but is purely natural juice from sweet potatoes, carrots, capsicum, with some fragrant spices added.”
Sweet Potato Dreamsicle
This super simple sweet potato juice recipe is something that you’d want to try if you haven’t experienced the juicing wonders of the sweet potato.
What you need:
- 1 orange
- 3 carrots
- 1/2 a small sweet potato
Preparation:
Juice ’em! You’ll probably want to play around with the proportions since sweet potatoes (not to mention carrots and oranges) come in such different sizes. We’ve also added Mango to this which was great, too.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.westervin.com/blog/2013/02/08/sweet-potato-dreamsicle/
“If you add some sweet potato to one of your regular juice recipes, it will make the whole thing a little thicker. Not as thick as a smoothie, but thicker than plain old juice. Our favorite sweet potato juice so far we call the Dreamsicle Juice, because it’s sweet and kind of looks like a Dreamsicle.”
Raw Sweet Potato Pear Juice
When in doubt, go raw! Try this raw sweet potato pear juice recipe and have a taste all of its nutritional benefits.
What you need:
- 4 raw sweet potatoes
- 2 carrots
- 1 pear
- ¼ lemon
- 1 inch knob of ginger
- 1 inch knob of turmeric
- dash of cinnamon
Preparation:
Prep time: 10 minutes | Serves 2
Chop the potatoes, carrots, pear, lemon, ginger and turmeric. Add to juicer. Enjoy right away with a dash of cinnamon for warmth. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
Read more healthy recipes and inspiration here: http://www.breastcancermaven.com/raw-sweet-potato-juice/
“I cook a lot with sweet potatoes in the winter. I know I use it more than any other food in my kitchen. I can do a lot with this veggie and it has to be the most versatile food of all…While cooking with this brilliant root vegetable is a blast, there is something I enjoy even more, The Raw Sweet Potato Juice. I pick the best looking ones, put them through the juicer and add some other root like friends to it.”
