This Carb-Loaded Food Is Ideal For Weight Loss

You don't typically think of eating carbs as being synonymous with losing weight. Of course, this may be true in many cases, but there is one food that is actually packed with carbs that can help you shed pounds. Sorry, we aren't talking about pasta or bagels, but this flavorful and versatile food is still one you will be happy to incorporate into your diet.

The mystery carb-loaded food we speak of is the sweet potato, and as Trista Best, Registered Dietitian at Balance One Supplements told The List, "Sweet potatoes are a root vegetable that gets most of its attention during the fall and winter months, but the dense nutrition it packs should make it a popular ingredient year round."

You may be surprised to learn a medium sweet potato has just 100 calories, and 24 carbs, of which 4 are fiber, according to Best. She explains there "are two primary characteristics that make sweet potatoes an ideal food for anyone wanting to lose weight."

"The fiber content of a sweet potatoes improves weight loss efforts in two ways," Best told The List, elaborating, "One, fiber leaves the consumer feeling fuller which makes them less likely to overeat at meal times and eat less between meals." She continues, "Two, fiber removes toxins from the body and keeps the bowels regular, both of which reduce inflammation and weight."

As if these benefits of eating sweet potatoes aren't enough, Best explained that since this food is low in calories, they make a great addition to a meal if you are trying to lose weight. But wait — there's more! Did you know sweet potatoes contain nearly 40 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin C? "The same is true for its vitamin A content, except it packs in over 400 percent of this daily value," Best adds, also advising that Vitamin A, another immune supporting nutrient, "has a little known weight loss benefit as it improves metabolism at a cellular level."

If you aren't sure how to add sweet potatoes to your meal plan, Best recommends just digging into one alone, or mixing it into a winter soup or stew.