But I don't like sweet potatoes...

 Jim and I have began to put more emphasis on "healthy and natural" when it comes to our diet. Cutting out almost all processed foods and mainly taking in meats, fresh or frozen produce, and dairy. And within those healthy categories getting rid of many of the carb-heavy starches. We have wanted to do this so many times before, but we always get caught up on one thing... potatoes. We love potatoes! And it is difficult to get rid of them. (Don't even think about mentioning cauliflower! Yuck!! Been there, tried that, YUCK!) People have said "try substituting sweet potatoes." But I don't really like sweet potatoes.

That is... I didn't. I am not a big fan of the fries, or of having them mashed. I can put them in with a stew and not really notice them. But that doesn't solve my "potatoes as the main side dish" issue. And then I tried them a different way, by suggestion of my husband, I must say. We have a recipe for seasoned cubed potatoes that I got from a friend a long time ago, and he suggested trying the sp's with that recipe. It was fantastic! So, I wanted to share it. The recipe is super simple:

Oven baked seasoned cubed potatoes
Cube potatoes (in this case sweet potatoes)
Put in baking dish (no need to use cooking spray)
Lightly coat in mayo
Season with Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning (found in all supermarkets I have been to)
Bake @ 350 for 45 min or until tender.
Stir before serving
Yum!

The SP's made a wonderful substitute in this recipe. Jim even said he likes them more than the regular spuds. So if you are not so sure you can make the change, or if you simply enjoy sweet potatoes, try these.

I also make my home fries with them now. Which are very similar, but a slightly more healthy recipe.

Basic Sweet Potato Home Fries
Cube potatoes and dice some onion
Warm a frying pan over med heat
Spray pan with cooking spray (if you have a gas stove, do this away from the burner please)
Add onion, and saute a few minutes
Add potatoes
Season with Greek Seasoning
Cook until tender (and slightly crisp on the outside if you want) stirring occasionally.


I can now say that I do indeed like sweet potatoes, I like them a lot!

The healthy food changes have had quite an impact on our lives already. I lost 5lbs the first week!! I was excited and surprised about that. Now I find myself excited to see what week two will bring. I have also noticed that I am sleeping better and feeling better during the day. And I feel better about what I am feeding my family. We still enjoy sweet treats a couple/few times a week. I believe in moderation, not elimination, on things like that. And I see a lot of hope for us to stay on the healthy track, now that we have a solution to our potato conundrum.

Happy cooking!