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Sweet Potato Dip and Veggies

Article written and reviewed by Cyrus Khambatta, PhD
Published February 18, 2024

This dip can be used as an appetizer, meal or snack. Great for when you have company over. Using a wide variety of vegetables for dipping will fill you and your guests.

Bursting with flavor and wholesome goodness, this dip is the perfect pairing for an array of crisp and crunchy vegetables, creating a deliciously nutritious snack or appetizer. With creamy sweet potato, protein-rich black beans, zesty garlic and lime, and a hint of spice from cumin and chili pepper, each bite is a tantalizing fusion of savory and tangy flavors. 

And the best part? This dip is incredibly tasty and packed with essential nutrients, making it a guilt-free indulgence you can enjoy anytime. 

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Sweet Potatoes: The Sweet Solution for Diabetes-Friendly Nutrition!

Sweet potatoes, with their vibrant orange flesh and naturally sweet flavor, are not only a culinary delight but also a nutritional powerhouse, offering an array of health benefits for individuals, including those living with diabetes. These root vegetables are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a valuable addition to any balanced diet.

One of the key benefits of sweet potatoes for individuals with diabetes lies in their relatively low glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL). The GI measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose levels, while the GL takes into account both the quality and quantity of carbohydrates consumed. 

Sweet potatoes have a moderate GI, typically ranging from 44 to 61 for boiled sweet potatoes, indicating that they cause a gradual and steady increase in blood glucose levels when consumed. Additionally, their moderate GL ensures that sweet potatoes provide a sustained release of energy without causing sharp spikes or crashes in blood sugar levels, making them a favorable choice for diabetes management.

Furthermore, sweet potatoes are packed with essential vitamins and minerals that contribute to overall health and well-being. They are particularly rich in vitamin A, primarily in the form of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that supports vision health, immune function, and skin health. Additionally, sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant that promotes wound healing, collagen synthesis, and immune support.

Moreover, sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of potassium, a mineral that plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure, muscle function, and nerve transmission. They also provide manganese, which supports bone health, metabolism, and antioxidant defense systems within the body. 

Furthermore, sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber, which promotes satiety, aids in digestion, and helps regulate blood sugar levels by slowing the absorption of glucose in the bloodstream.

Black Beans: The Diabetic's Delicious Dynamo!

Black beans, often hailed as a superfood, offer a plethora of health benefits, particularly for individuals managing diabetes. These versatile legumes are a nutrient-dense powerhouse, packed with protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that contribute to overall well-being. With their low glycemic index (GI) and high fiber content, black beans are a diabetes-friendly food choice that can help stabilize blood sugar levels and promote satiety.

One of the key benefits of black beans for individuals with diabetes is their low GI, typically ranging from 20 to 40, depending on the variety and preparation method. The GI measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose levels, with lower values indicating a slower and more gradual increase. Black beans' low GI ensures that they cause minimal spikes in blood sugar levels when consumed, making them an excellent choice for diabetes management.

Furthermore, black beans are rich in dietary fiber, with a single cup providing approximately 15 grams of fiber, nearly half of the daily recommended intake. Fiber plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar levels by slowing down the absorption of glucose in the bloodstream. 

Additionally, fiber promotes digestive health, supports weight management by promoting feelings of fullness, and helps lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease—common comorbidity with diabetes.

Moreover, black beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein, making them a valuable addition to vegetarian and vegan diets. Protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels by slowing down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, preventing rapid spikes in blood glucose levels after meals. 

Additionally, black beans contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, including folate, potassium, magnesium, and iron, which support overall health and well-being.

In summary, black beans are a diabetes-friendly superfood that offers a myriad of health benefits, including blood sugar regulation, satiety, and heart health support.

Asparagus: The Diabetes-Friendly Spear of Nutrition!

Asparagus, with its slender stalks and delicate flavor, is not only a culinary delight, but another nutritional powerhouse that is beneficial for individuals managing diabetes. 

These vibrant green spears are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that contribute to overall health and well-being. With their low glycemic index (GI), high fiber content, and array of essential nutrients, asparagus is a diabetes-friendly vegetable choice that can help support blood sugar control and promote optimal health.

One of the key benefits of asparagus for individuals with diabetes is its low GI, typically ranging from 15 to 30, depending on the cooking method. Asparagus' low GI ensures that it causes minimal spikes in blood sugar levels when consumed, making it an excellent choice for diabetes management.

Furthermore, asparagus is rich in dietary fiber, with just one cup providing approximately 3 grams of fiber, helping promote satiety, regulate blood sugar levels, and support digestive health. 

Fiber also aids in weight management by promoting feelings of fullness and reducing the risk of overeating, which is crucial for individuals with diabetes aiming to maintain a healthy weight.

Moreover, asparagus is a good source of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin K, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Vitamin K is essential for blood clotting and bone health, while folate is crucial for DNA synthesis and cell division. 

Additionally, asparagus contains antioxidants such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, which help protect cells from damage and support immune function. Potassium, an electrolyte mineral found in abundance in asparagus, plays a vital role in regulating blood pressure and muscle function, making it particularly beneficial for individuals with diabetes, who are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sweet Potato Dip and Veggies

Beverly Verwey
Servings 2 people
Calories 486 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup sweet potato cooked flesh
  • 2 cups cooked black beans, or low-sodium canned black beans
  • 1 garlic minced
  • 1/2 lime's juice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 1 small tomato finely chopped
  • 1/2 chili pepper (or to taste) seeded and finely chopped
  • 6 medium asparagus spears
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into quarters lengthwise
  • 1 medium celery stalk cut into 4 1" pieces
  • 4 large radishes cut in half
  • 1/2 head cauliflower cut into florets (1 cup)
  • 1 medium cucumber cut into quarters 4" long or thick slices

Instructions
 

  • Bake a whole sweet potato in a 400°F oven until cooked for about 45 minutes depending on the size of the potato you are cooking. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let it cool so you can handle it comfortably. Scoop out 1 cup of flesh to use in this recipe. The remaining potato can be stored in an air-tight container to be used for a future recipe.
  • In a food processor container, place sweet potato, black beans, garlic, lime juice, cumin, onion, tomato, chili pepper and blend until smooth. Place in a serving bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Prepare all the vegetables you will be using for dipping.

Notes

Use whatever vegetable you have on hand for dipping such as broccoli, any color bell peppers, green or yellow beans, etc.
Replace the tomato, green pepper, onion and chili pepper with a store-bought low-sodium oil-free salsa
If using it as an appetizer, cut up more vegetables for each person.

Nutrition

Calories: 486kcalCarbohydrates: 72.9gProtein: 22gFat: 2.2gSodium: 136.3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About the author 

Cyrus Khambatta, PhD

Cyrus Khambatta, PhD is a New York Times bestselling co-author of Mastering Diabetes: The Revolutionary Method to Reverse Insulin Resistance Permanently in Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, Prediabetes, and Gestational Diabetes.

He is the co-founder of Mastering Diabetes and Amla Green, and is an internationally recognized nutrition and fitness coach who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2002. He co-created the Mastering Diabetes Method to reverse insulin resistance in all forms of diabetes, and has helped more than 10,000 people improve their metabolic health using low-fat, plant-based, whole-food nutrition, intermittent fasting, and exercise.

Cyrus earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003, then earned a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 2012. He is the co-author of many peer-reviewed scientific publications.

He is the co-host of the annual Mastering Diabetes Online Summit, a featured speaker at the Plant-Based Nutrition and Healthcare Conference (PBNHC), the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Conference (ACLM), Plant Stock, the Torrance Memorial Medical Center, and has been featured on The Doctors, NPR, KQED, Forks Over Knives, Healthline, Fast Company, Diet Fiction, and the wildly popular podcasts the Rich Roll Podcast, Plant Proof, MindBodyGreen, and Nutrition Rounds.

Scientific Publications:

Sarver, Jordan, Cyrus Khambatta, Robby Barbaro, Bhakti Chavan, and David Drozek. “Retrospective Evaluation of an Online Diabetes Health Coaching Program: A Pilot Study.” American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, October 15, 2019, 1559827619879106. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827619879106

Shrivastav, Maneesh, William Gibson, Rajendra Shrivastav, Katie Elzea, Cyrus Khambatta, Rohan Sonawane, Joseph A. Sierra, and Robert Vigersky. “Type 2 Diabetes Management in Primary Care: The Role of Retrospective, Professional Continuous Glucose Monitoring.” Diabetes Spectrum: A Publication of the American Diabetes Association 31, no. 3 (August 2018): 279–87. https://doi.org/10.2337/ds17-0024

Thompson, Airlia C. S., Matthew D. Bruss, John C. Price, Cyrus F. Khambatta, William E. Holmes, Marc Colangelo, Marcy Dalidd, et al. “Reduced in Vivo Hepatic Proteome Replacement Rates but Not Cell Proliferation Rates Predict Maximum Lifespan Extension in Mice.” Aging Cell 15, no. 1 (February 2016): 118–27. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12414

Roohk, Donald J., Smita Mascharak, Cyrus Khambatta, Ho Leung, Marc Hellerstein, and Charles Harris. “Dexamethasone-Mediated Changes in Adipose Triacylglycerol Metabolism Are Exaggerated, Not Diminished, in the Absence of a Functional GR Dimerization Domain.” Endocrinology 154, no. 4 (April 2013): 1528–39. https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2011-1047



Price, John C., Cyrus F. Khambatta, Kelvin W. Li, Matthew D. Bruss, Mahalakshmi Shankaran, Marcy Dalidd, Nicholas A. Floreani, et al. “The Effect of Long Term Calorie Restriction on in Vivo Hepatic Proteostatis: A Novel Combination of Dynamic and Quantitative Proteomics.” Molecular & Cellular Proteomics: MCP 11, no. 12 (December 2012): 1801–14.
https://doi.org/10.1074/mcp.M112.021204





Bruss, Matthew D., Airlia C. S. Thompson, Ishita Aggarwal, Cyrus F. Khambatta, and Marc K. Hellerstein. “The Effects of Physiological Adaptations to Calorie Restriction on Global Cell Proliferation Rates.” American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism 300, no. 4 (April 2011): E735-745. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00661.2010




Bruss, Matthew D., Cyrus F. Khambatta, Maxwell A. Ruby, Ishita Aggarwal, and Marc K. Hellerstein. “Calorie Restriction Increases Fatty Acid Synthesis and Whole Body Fat Oxidation Rates.” American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism 298, no. 1 (January 2010): E108-116.
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00524.2009