Irish Potatoes ~1 kg

If you want to stay healthy, eat your vegetables. They are an essential part of a balanced diet. Vegetables contain various nutrients and vitamins. They are also rich in fibre which aid digestion as well as other body functions. Vegetables are low in calories and fat. If you are cooking a Nigerian dish, you will struggle to do without a number of key vegetables. Many of the soups we love also have local vegetables as their base. Mama was right when she said you should eat your greens – they certainly help keep you healthy. Irish potatoes are large and starchy crops which originated in the lands of South America. Due to a potato blight that killed a million Irish people in the 1840’s, they later came to be called “Irish potato”. They have thin, brown skin on the outside with coloured flesh inside most commonly orange in colour.When peeled, they are soft and succulent, with a tender, flesh like texture. They can be boiled or fried into a crunchy meal. Irish potatoes are high in fibre, which has been shown to promote a healthy digestive system. Much of the research suggests that the phytosterol content of sweet potatoes does have a protective effect on the digestive system and may be important in the prevention and management of duodenal and gastric ulcers, including those due to NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen).So whether you are eating a meal of beans, fried eggs, tomato sauce or other spicy soups, you can always add a bowl of Irish potatoes to enrich the meal.