For an alternative sweet potato dish, try the loaded sweet potato instead of a pie. The loaded sweet potato is baked and topped with caramel sauce and marshmallows. For a healthier version of the Texas Roadhouse loaded sweet potato caramel sauce recipe featured on wdtn.com, reduce the amount of sugar and butter. Making a few changes to the original recipe can make this a sinless dish.
Saturated Fat
The loaded sweet potato is loaded with saturated fat -- 25 percent, according to fatsecret.com. The American Heart Association advises that saturated fat make up only 7 percent of your total fat intake. The loaded sweet potato requires 4 tbsp. of butter to make the caramel sauce, based on a Texas Roadhouse recipe found on WDTN News website. If you make this at home, you should reduce the tablespoons of butter to limit saturated fats in your diet.
Carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes are a great source of energy. Fifty to 60 percent of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The Texas Roadhouse loaded sweet potato has 59 g of carbohydrates and provides 20 percent of daily recommended carbohydrate intake, according to fatsecret.com. The loaded sweet potato is high in sugar -- 31 g, however. This is probably because the Texas Roadhouse loaded sweet potato recipe requires 1/4 cup of brown sugar. A diet high in sugar can cause tooth decay and the extra calories from sugar could be stored as fat. To limit sugar, reduce the amount of brown sugar in the recipe.
Dietary Fiber
The loaded sweet potato is good source of dietary fiber -- 5 g, according to the fatsecret.com nutritional label for the Texas Roadhouse loaded sweet potato recipe. The Mayo Clinic advises that women get 21 to 25 g of fiber per day and men 30 to 38 g. A high-fiber diet may decrease risk for diabetes and heart disease and support a healthy digestive tract with adequate consumption of water.
Mineral Potassium
The loaded sweet potato has 503 mg. of potassium, according to fatsecret.com. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends setting daily potassium goals at 4,700 mg. to lower blood pressure. The daily potassium goal can be reached by eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes and nuts. The DASH diet suggests eating 10 to 11 servings of fruits and vegetables per day to increase potassium in your diet.
Vitamin A
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A. The sweet potato has 262 percent of the daily requirement for vitamin A as beta carotene, according to whfoods.com. The caramel sauce and marshmallows do not provide additional vitamin A. Vitamin A works as an antioxidant in your body to destroy free radicals and fight the occurrence of diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart disease and colon cancer.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- WDTN News: Texas Roadhouse Loaded Sweet Potatoes
- Fat Secret: Texas Roadhouse Loaded Sweet Potato
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Carbohydrates - Recommendations
- Mayo Clinic: High-fiber Foods
- National Institutes of Health-National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure With DASH
Member Comments