Sweet Potato Protein Mousse

👩🏽‍⚕️ Tips for Making Sweet Potato Protein Mousse Diabetic-Friendly

1. Boil Sweet Potatoes, But Don’t Overcook: Boil the sweet potatoes until tender but not mushy. Overcooking can increase their glycemic index by breaking down starches into simpler sugars. Aim for a firm texture to keep the starches more intact.
2. Choose a Lower-GI Potato Variety: Potatoes like purple and orange sweet potatoes generally have a lower glycemic index (GI) with the added benefit of being much richer in antioxidants than white potatoes.
3. Chill for Resistant Starch: After making the mousse, refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight. Cooling converts some starches into resistant starch, which digests more slowly and reduces the impact on blood sugar.
4. Incorporate Healthy Fats: Add nut butter or flaxseed meal to the mousse to slow digestion and help stabilize blood sugar levels.

These tips ensure your Sweet Potato Protein Mousse is as blood sugar-friendly as it is delicious!

🫧 Most Nutritious Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes: Boiling versus Steaming

Boiling may retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to even steaming. Boiling can also thin cell walls and gelatinize starch, making the nutrients more bioavailable.

1. Nutrient Retention and Glycemic Index: A study published in The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that boiling potatoes tends to result in a lower glycemic index than other cooking methods like baking or frying, which is beneficial for blood sugar management. This occurs because boiling promotes the gelatinization of starch, creating a structure that slows down carbohydrate digestion and absorption, thereby reducing the glycemic response.
2. Bioavailability of Antioxidants: This study explored how cooking methods influence the antioxidant content in potatoes. The findings suggested that boiling can enhance the bioavailability of certain antioxidants, including phenolic compounds, as the softened cell walls allow for better nutrient release.
3. Vitamin C Retention: Research has shown that steaming can preserve more vitamin C in potatoes compared to boiling. This difference is likely due to the reduced contact with water, which minimizes nutrient leaching. However, unpeeled potatoes lose only about 7% by cooking, and for antioxidant capacity and bioavailability, boiling still performs comparably well.

These studies indicate that while steaming retains more vitamins in potatoes, boiling may offer advantages for enhancing antioxidant bioavailability and lowering the glycemic index, which can be beneficial depending on individual dietary needs.

🍠 Substitutions

• Nut-free - Omit the nut butter or substitute it with tahini, or seed butter. Choose a different protien powder or omit it entirely.
• Sweet potatoes - Use purple, orange, or a combination of both for a vibrant color and a boost of antioxidants.
• Nondairy milk - The recipe uses soymilk for the most protein and vitamins, lower saturated fat, and zero cholesterol, but any milk will work.
• Nut butter - Use almond, peanut, walnut, cashew, or tahini for nut-free.
• Flaxseed meal: Use 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds instead, or omit them entirely. If omitting, reduce the milk by 3 tablespoons and add more as needed when blending.
• Cinnamon - Omit or use desired spices (cloves, nutmeg, cayenne).
• Protein powder - Use a clean brand of protein powder, my Homemade Protein Powder, or omit it entirely.
• Cocoa powder - Try to use a brand tested for cadmium or omit it entirely. (See my Vegan Food List for safe brands.)
• Mexican-inspired - Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give your Mexican chocolate mousse a subtle kick and a warm, spicy depth of flavor.

For more healthy vegan treat recipes, visit my Healthy Vegan Treats page.