Well, here we are. No one said this would be easy, but I am dedicated to covering difficult truths in this blog.
Now before I go down this path, I have to make one thing clear. This is not a post against sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are lovely and delicious. I am just speaking out against this particular application of sweet potatoes. You see, sweet potatoes truly have a strong identity crisis off the bat. In some places in the US they are mislabeled as yams despite the fact that we don’t even grow yams here, and thus they are hard to come by.
But beyond that, sweet potatoes really do struggle with a sweet versus savory dilemma. Every Thanksgiving I volunteer to make the sweet potatoes so that I can control the sweet potato narrative. Some people love the sweet, sweet casserole with marshmallows on top, and some love a savory preparation along with the other vegetables being served. To compromise, I make a sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar pecan crumble, which I try not to make too sweet. But the bottom line is— there will always be people who want their sweet potatoes sweet, and those who like them savory.
But back to fries. The most offensive thing about most sweet potato fries is the sad attempt to simply have them as replacements for regular potatoes. They are so different than regular white potatoes. They can be sweet or savory! Their best application is not as a fry. They are better than the sad, sad, dry fries that always are served when someone orders sweet potato fries. Let me tell you— anything that creates an urge to dip a sweet potato in ketchup is not of God. And that’s the problem sweet potato fries present to us time after time. Yet, restaurants market them to us as a healthier alternative and something more unique to try. Ok first of all— if my mind is set on eating some fries, I’m not trying to be healthy in this moment. Let me be fat in peace. I don’t order fries often, but when I do, I want a good old white potato fry. Carbs and all. Second, sweet potato fries are thrown in our face constantly. They are not unique, or something different to eat. And if you want to make them different, offer some dipping sauces that go with a sweet potato. Give me a cinnamon butter drizzle. A red chili sauce. Anything but ketchup. Stop trying to make that combo happen, for goodness sake.
So the next time you are offered a sweet potato fry, think long and hard about what you are wanting. Don’t settle for a dry, fried sweet potato to dip in ketchup. You are better than that. We all are.
Girl!!!! I love your blogs!!! Just says to me, l knew there was so much more to Kristen than that shy young lady at work with the quiet demeanor.
So refreshing to read your blogs. I cannot begin to tell you all of the things I like.
1. No excuses for loving to cook good food. We are way too focused on the thin and the nerve wrecking emphasis on the plate of food we are eating. So many cultures in other countries don’t focus on weight like Americans. I get the health issue point but let’s not let it say who we value based on weight.
2. Dating….girl…you hit the nail on the head! I cannot add another thing to what you said.
3. Let me say, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL and being chubby has nothing to do with it.
4. Finally full figured models is LONG OVERDUE. So glad you are representing for us. Now if we can just get these folks with exercise add to stop showing us the skinny people exercising…..why would I come to that gym to exercise if no one looks like my fat self?
I could go on but I just love what you have had to say. Stay the course!
Thank you Lana! I agree with every point.
1. Americans DO focus too much on weight. If a person is eating well and exercising
and moving their body, let them be!
2. I got some stories! 😂
3. Thank you 😊. I’m learning to accept that
4. People want don’t want to see size 0 when they’re trying to buy clothes, unless they are a size 0! And yes– we have to make the chubbies exercising a normalized thing! We work out like everybody else!
Thank you for your encouragement!! 💜