“Meal prep” is the term for strategically planning your shopping list and cooking so that you can create several days or even a week’s worth of dishes at a time. By planning your meals and subsequently making a conscious point of purchasing only specific products, you can also help reduce food waste with meal prepping much like you do with the root-to-stem approach. Sweet potatoes are a perfect ingredient in any diet, since they keep for up to two weeks at home uncooked when stored properly. This means keeping them dry, cool and in a well-ventilated space. Once they have been cooked, they have a shelf life of another three to five days in the refrigerator. Cooked sweet potatoes are best stored in plastic containers and protected against humidity. And if your plans suddenly change, you can even freeze a sweet potato easily. Simply cook an unpeeled sweet potato, let it cool down, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in an airtight freezer bag in your freezer. This is the best way to preserve its flavor and valuable nutrients.

Not only do the practical storage conditions for sweet potatoes make these American treats excellent for meal prepping, but so does their size. Usually, a few portions are left over which can be used creatively the next day for new dishes so you can bring some variety into your weekly menu. Cooked sweet potato cubes can be worked into a smoothie the next day with no trouble at all or mashed and stirred into a batter. Rather than throw the peels away, they can be baked up as delicious skins and turned into an alternative to chips. Little tricks like this mean that a sweet potato from the US opens up limitless opportunities for cooking at home.