Get Beta-Carotene and Antioxidants From Sweet Potatoes

Like squash, sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, so you’ll get heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory benefits when eating them, as well as potassium — almost 12 percent of your daily dose in one medium-sized sweet potato, according to the USDA.

These spuds also have sporamins, powerful antioxidants unique to this vegetable that are being studied for their positive effects on colon cancer, according to a review published in August 2022 in the journal Antioxidants. And they're packed with fiber, giving you almost 4 g, or 16 percent of your daily value, in a medium-sized potato with the skin, Dr. Fenster says. Bonus? You can have your sweets and eat them, too, even if you have type 2 diabetes. Sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index, meaning that a diet high in sweet potatoes doesn’t raise blood sugar even in people with diabetes, Fenster adds.

For best results, bake them with chili powder and olive oil, or roast and drizzle with a small amount of maple syrup, a natural sweetener that also has plant-based compounds that act as antioxidants, says Fenster.