When you think about superfoods, what comes to mind? If it’s a hefty price tag, we feel you. Sure, we love acai and maca as much as the next person, but these hard-to-get superfoods come at a price — literally. So do you have to choose between boosting your body and saving for retirement?

Of course not. There are a ton of superfoods that give you serious bang for your buck. And today we want to focus on one of the best: sweet potatoes. 

Sweet potato specs

Call it a yam, if you want. Either way, a single sweet potato of average size has:

• Around 4 grams of protein
• Over 6 grams of fiber
• All the vitamin A you need for the day (and then some)
• Over half of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C
• Antioxidants, which help your body fend off disease and inflammation

Another sweet thing about sweet potatoes is that they’re generally grown with fewer pesticides than regular potatoes. In fact, some experts say you’re safe to buy them non-organic, which makes them an even cheaper superfood. 

You’re probably pretty clear on why protein and vitamin C are important for your health. So let’s move onto some of the less promoted nutrients: fiber and vitamin A. 

Why you need fiber and vitamin A

Sweet potatoes don’t just contain any old fiber. They’ve got both soluble and insoluble fiber, which is a potent combo that promotes gut health. 

And as for vitamin A, it’s the one that protects your vision and supports a healthy immune system. There’s a trick here, though. You need to choose the orange variety of sweet potato since that’s the one that has beta-carotene, the antioxidant that makes the potato orange and that your body converts to vitamin A. 

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Don’t keep sweet potato’s high-fiber, nutrient-dense goodness to yourself, either. Fido will love it as sweet potato is great for dogs!