I have many friends who have been suffering with the flu this winter. Because of that, I have been cooking faithfully from my antioxidant menu which I have posted to the inside cupboard door in my kitchen. One of my favorite ways to boost my immune system is by eating sweet potatoes.

For lunch today, I made what I call Sweet Potato Medallions. They are slices of the potato baked in the oven, skins and all. And it turns out that the skin is one of the most nutritious part of the sweet potato. According to Michael Greger, author of the health website, NutrtionFacts.org, “The peel of a sweet potato has nearly ten times the antioxidant power as the flesh (an antioxidant capacity comparable to that of blueberries).”

I grew up loving sweet potatoes. My mother always boiled them and it turns out this is the very best way to absorb the maximum antioxidants from this delicious starchy vegetable. Baking them in the microwave is the next best way. However, baking or roasting will cause as much as an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling!

The important thing, though, is to eat them frequently. Sweet potatoes are so packed with antioxidants that baking, boiling and steaming them will still boost our immune systems. But I’m definitely going to eat the skins as much as I can.

Another great tip is to try to find the darkest sweet potatoes in your store. The darker in color, the higher the antioxidants.