Although they are both root vegetables, look and taste similar, sweet potatoes and yams aren’t even cousins. In fact, sweet potatoes are members of the same family as morning glories, while yams count as part of their family lilies and grasses. To make it more confusing, not only are sweet potatoes not potatoes, what’s labeled as a yam in your local market is probably a sweet potato, actually. Most real yams are grown in Africa and may only be available in markets selling int

Hold onto your hats, it’s pumpkin season! And to show our appreciation for fall’s go-to gourd, we’re highlighting all the weird, wonderful and nutritional aspects of this fall harvest fruit—that’s right, it’s a fruit! Many people refer to the orange sphere as a vegetable but it is, in fact, a fruit grown from a seed. Pumpkins are native to Central America and Mexico but are now grown on six out of seven continents around the world. We in the U.S. really enjoy our pumpkins an

Fall brings the best gifts, like vegetables that taste like candy when they’re cooked. One of those sweet and savory surprises is butternut squash. Butternut squash is plain old beige on the outside but life-of-the-party orange-yellow on the inside, ready to pop in the oven and enjoy with virtually no seasoning. One cup of butternut squash is only 63 calories, has 2.8 g of fiber and a whopping 14,882 International Units (IUs) of vitamin A. The recommended Daily Value for vita

The real superhero of the sea is laid out in your grocery store: Protein-packed, stripey cuts of salmon. According to Science Daily, scientists found that fish reduced the risk of cardiac death by 10 percent. And the fatty acids and other nutrients in salmon do more than that: Recent studies have also shown the many benefits of salmon— finding that eating fish once per week may be connected to a lower risk of multiple sclerosis, and a protein in salmon may help lower your ris

Fresh cherries are one of summer’s most-anticipated treats. They’re juicy and delicious, fun to eat one-by-one or to use as an added burst of flavor in many recipes. While you may be able to buy cherries frozen or dried at any time of year, they’re widely available fresh only during summer months. Cherries are SmartCarbs, which means they’re nutrient-rich, high in fiber and low to medium on the Glycemic Index. You can enjoy a one-cup serving of fresh cherries and still stay o

If you want to make your Saturday super sweet—and super fancy—have some pineapple. Those yellow rings have been a universal sign of the good life and hospitality since the 1700s, according to Southern Living. They’re also a great way to show yourself (and your health) some love, as the benefits of pineapple are countless. One cup of pineapple chunks or rings provides more than 100 percent of your daily vitamin C, which won’t just help you fend off colds, but fight fat: A 2006

Let’s start with the most immediate question. How do you pronounce acai? Say it “ah-sah-EE.” If you’ve never heard of acai or aren’t sure what it is, that’s no surprise since the South American fruit is a relatively new introduction to the U.S. food market. Acai has quickly achieved “superfood” status for many healthy eaters because of its potent nutritional content and versatility. Acai also has been hyped with unsubstantiated reports about its miraculous powers to cure dise

We hear a lot about trendy “superfoods” that are touted for their ability to make us healthier, slimmer, more energetic and build up immunity against all sorts of ailments. Quinoa is one that actually lives up to its hype. Pronounced “keen-wah,” the grain has been a staple of South American cuisine for centuries, but recently it’s become popular among healthy eaters in North America because it truly is exceptionally nutritious and versatile. Superfood Saturday: The Power of P

When it comes to nutritional value, the beet cannot be beat! These vibrant root vegetables are sweet in taste but actually rank low to medium in the Glycemic index. Therefore, eating them won’t lead to quick spikes in your blood glucose levels like eating other sugars would. Digging deeper into these bulbous beauties tells us that they are also free of fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. They are low in sodium, high in potassium, and high in iron, which is good for combating

Americans love their berries so much, they actually have festivals every year to celebrate the year’s harvest. Berries are celebrated in science labs around the world, too, because they contain high—in some cases, the highest—levels of antioxidant chemicals which are linked to everything from lower risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s to better digestive health and lower rates of depression. The good news is, if you’re on a Nutrisystem program, you can count one full cup of

Pound for pound, ginger must be the most powerful food. Just a couple of teaspoons can help knock out many minor health problems and even help defend you from more serious conditions. Ginger punches up the flavor of all kinds of dishes, turning ho-hum ingredients into food that delights your senses. Now here’s the kicker: Ginger is a Free Food on the Nutrisystem program, so you can enjoy it often and abundantly without slowing progress to your weight loss goal. Check out the