Meet guest blogger, Katie Peterson!

Hi sweet potato fans! My Name is Katie and I'll be guest blogging from time to time to share diabetic tips and recipes. This past January, I was diagnosed with what appears to be 1.5 diabetes, sometimes called Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults. The diagnosis was a complete shock and forced me to make a lot of adjustments to my everyday life. If you'd like to know more about my experience you can check out my personal blog, 1LittlePrick.

While I've always aimed to eat a healthy diet, I had never spent a lot of time thinking about carbohydrates. Now I have to constantly monitor them. Carbs are necessary, but too many - and the wrong kinds- can wreak havoc on my blood sugar. To get the most out of my carb allowance and keep my blood sugar in check, I choose complex carbs like whole-grain breads, beans and sweet potatoes.

As Cristy wrote back in April, sweet potatoes are a smart choice for those on a diabetic diet. Despite the "sweet" in their name, these root veggies have a medium to low glycemic index, plus they are full of good-for-you nutrients and fiber.

I incorporate sweet potatoes into my diet often, mashing them to accompany grilled poultry or roasting them with a little olive oil and sea salt to enjoy with a burger. This weekend I added roasted sweet potatoes to a salad inspired by one I had recently at a restaurant. The salad was quick and simple to prepare, but absolutely delicious!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
with Grilled Chicken and Candied Pecans

1 sweet potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
2 handfuls of candied pecans
2 grilled chicken breasts
mixed greens

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice sweet potato into 1/2-inch thick circles, then slice them in halves. In bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt. Spread sweet potato slices on a lined cookie sheet; bake until sweet potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. In large bowl, combine mixed greens, rosemary, pecans, sweet potatoes and your favorite vinaigrette; toss until greens are coated. Divide salad onto two plates; top each with chicken breast.

Serves 2