Sweet potatoes are center stage in the kitchen during the holidays, but for many people, the not-so-good-looking vegetable goes backstage for another year after next week.

As a sweet potato lover, I enjoy this vegetable year round. I have used the tuber in appetizers, soups and even desserts.

If you are like me, you probably enjoy the sugary, caramelized flavor of sweet potatoes, but don’t let the sweetness fool you. When prepared in a healthful way, they are packed with beta carotene and vitamins A and C, manganese, fiber, complex carbohydrates and antioxidants, and are low in calories. A medium sweet potato baked in its skin has 103 calories. Please click here to see the recipes and the rest of the column

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sweet potato linguine