The poor sweet potato. It’s not pretty so it’s often overlooked as the nutritional powerhouse that it is. Sweet potatoes are not only one of our favorite foods, dogs love them, kids love them, and they are the secret weapon of those in pursuit of weight loss without deprivation.

Sure they’re strangely misshapen, but are packed full of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, copper, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6. They are a good source of potassium (which can be hard to get), dietary fiber, niacin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and phosphorus.

Convinced? Freeze drying sweet potatoes is so easy. Just slice them about 1″ thick and place them in a single layer on the freeze drying trays. Store them in airtight containers until you’re ready for them.

One of the best ways to use freeze dried sweet potatoes is to make them into mashed sweet potatoes with butter and cinnamon. If that’s your plan, you can grind freeze dried slices into a powder then just add hot water. While you have a stash of sweet potato powder, sneak a couple of tablespoons into your smoothies for a nutritional boost.

Keep a stash of freeze dried sweet potatoes around for a low calorie, high fiber snack when the 3 o’clock munchies hit. Trust us, it works.

Freeze dried sweet potatoes, whether sliced, small diced or powdered, can be used in casseroles and stews. One of our favorite simple sweet potato dishes is just a combination of lentils, curry powder, sea salt, and diced sweet potatoes over rice. Sliced very thinly, they make delicious vegetable chips when sprinkled with savory seasoning, or a sweet treat tossed with cinnamon and sugar.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather, and enjoy stashing some seasonal treats for the winter days ahead.