Yams are an excellent source of vitamin C and B, potassium, and fibre. Alternatively, you can also substitute yams with sweet potatoes in this recipe. So what’s the actual difference between yams and sweet potatoes? I get asked this all the time when clients are shopping.
Sweet potatoes are not a type of yam, and yams are not a type of sweet potato. Confused yet? True yams are hard to find and grown in Africa and Asia and not typically found in your everyday grocery store. True yams have a cylindrical shape with blackish or brown, bark-like skin and white, purple or reddish flesh.
What is a sweet potato? There are two popular kinds of sweet potatoes that are commonly found in grocery stores. One has a golden skin and paler flesh and cooks firm. The other has a copper skin and orange flesh, cooks soft and often what we call “yam”.
Which one do you prefer? My go-to is the soft orange flesh “yam”. It tastes a bit sweeter to me and I love the texture.
Yam Latkes
Recipe
Yields 4-5 latkes
Ingredients
2 cups shredded yams/ sweet potato
1 scallion chopped
1/2 cup shredded organic raw cheddar cheese
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
2 free range eggs
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
dash of ground pepper
Method
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl and form patties.
- Fry each side with 1 tbsp. coconut oil until both sides are brown.
- Serve with organic cream cheese and top with scallions.
Created by: Renee Altman, RHN from Verity Nutrition
Renee was raised in small town Kaslo in the West Kootenays. After graduating, she pursued a health and lifestyle path by enrolling in the Human Kinetics program at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna. While attending university, she found her passion not only to be fitness, but also nutrition. In 2012, Renee attended the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in Nanaimo, where she specialized in holistic nutrition. She then returned to the Okanagan where she now resides. Renée’s strong belief in healthy practices such as fitness, nutrition, and emotional well-being fit well with the principles of holistic nutrition.
Renee’s method is to ditch the diet and switch to a lifestyle where incorporating nourishing food everyday will have you feeling empowered and revitalized. Her plan will have you forgetting about trendy diets that leave you feeling hungry, irritable, and tired, and instead incorporating natural, alive, and good quality whole foods.
