What do people that like sweet potatoes say? ” yam, yam, yam”
What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?
Although yams and sweet potatoes are both flowering plants
(angiosperms), they are not related botanically.

YAMS: Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and
Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130
lbs (As of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95%
of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes,
yams are starchier and drier.

SWEET POTATOES: The many varieties of sweet potatoes are members of                                 the morning glory family, (Convolvulaceae). The skin color can range in                              color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are
classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the
‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft
and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams
in the United States. Why the confusion ? In the Untied
States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft
varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially,
there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves
had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because
they resembled the yams of Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes
were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm
varieties. Today the USDA requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to
be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato’. Unless you
specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an
international market. You are probably eating sweet potatoes.
Source: www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/sweetpotato.html

Sweet Potato Ranks Number One in Nutrition
According to nutritionist at the Center of Science in the
Public (CSPI), the single most important dietary change for
most people including children, would be to replace fatty
foods with foods rich in complex carbohydrates, such as
sweet potatoes. CSPI ranked the sweet potato number one
in nutrition of all vegetables. With a score of 184, the
sweet potato outscored the next highest vegetable by more
than 100 points. Points were given for content, protein,
vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Points were deducted
for fat content (especially saturated fat), sodium,
cholesterol, added refined sugars and caffeine. The higher
the score, the more nutritious the food
Sweet potato baked 184                                  Brussels sprouts 37
Potato, baked 83                                               Cabbage, raw 34
Spinach 76                                                         Green peas 33
Kale 55                                                                 Carrots 30
Mixed vegetables 52                                        Okra 30
Broccoli 52                                                          Corn on the cob 27
Winter squash, baked 44                                Tomatoes 27
Source: www.foodreference.com/html/sweet-pot-nutrition.html