“Superfood” is a word that gets easily tossed around these days, from $15 açaí bowls to $18 batches of granola with goji berries and cacao nibs. But, technically, “Superfood” is nothing more than a marketing term. In essence, it’s any nutrient-dense food that comes with health benefits, regardless of price. Now that it’s fall, our attention is on sweet potatoes—the affordable root vegetable that’s packed with health benefits.

Although sweet potatoes are available all year round, they’re most often associated with fall flavors. The cooler months and holiday season inspire us to use it in a variety of dishes, like sweet potato pie, sweet potato casserole, and sweet potato pancakes—all vegan, of course. 

Sweet potatoes are highly nutritious and packed with a variety of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds. 

They’re a good source of carbohydrates, which provide the body with energy, as well as vitamins A, C, and B6, plus manganese and potassium. Like white potatoes, sweet potatoes are more nutritious when you leave the skin on.

“Sweet potatoes contain multiple health benefits,” Rhyan Geiger, RDN, and founder of Phoenix Vegan Dietitian, tells VegNews. “Including reducing cancer risk due to the pigment called beta-carotene, improving digestion and regularity from the fiber content, maintaining eye health because of the high amounts of vitamin A, and boosting immunity because of its vitamin C content. Overall, it’s a delicious nutrient-dense option.”

In the kitchen, sweet potatoes—which are often mistakenly called a yam—are a delicious multi-tasking ingredient that also happen to be very good for you. Even better, they tend to be on the affordable side, ranging from $0.75 to $1.80 per pound on average, according to cost information website, ThePricer. Below, we’ll go through the health benefits of sweet potatoes, plus ways to use them this season.