Homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi Recipe - Grain Free + Paleo Option! (2024)

FAQs

Why are sweet potatoes not allowed on paleo? ›

The bottom line on sweet potatoes and the paleo diet

Sweet potatoes are a bonafide paleo staple. We eat them all the time! As long as you eat them within a balanced paleo diet, then they are a healthy addition that can deliver a bunch of healthy nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium, fiber, and more.

The Ingredients

Tapioca flour: Also called tapioca starch. Alternatively, use arrowroot flour or cornstarch, though I've had the best results with tapioca.

Read your labels; if there is any form of alternative flour or starch used in the pasta, noodles, or gnocchi, it's out for your Whole30 elimination. 100% green or yellow pea protein, like this Whole30 Approved version from Sprout Living, is compatible with the Original Whole30.

This is not what we want! Don't Boil Too Long. The most common reason for mushy sweet potato gnocchi is boiling it too long; once it's floated for 30 seconds, it should be promptly removed and drained well. Drain Off as Much Water as Possible.

A grain-free diet is not necessarily a low-carb option, unlike the ketogenic diet, which limits carbohydrates. It is recommended to consume complex carbs from foods, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin, in moderation.

Unprocessed potatoes are paleo

Generally, unprocessed potatoes of all types can be part of a paleo diet. Similarly to grains, which are off-limits on paleo, potatoes are starchy and rich in carbohydrates. However, potatoes are actually a type of starchy vegetable that grows underground, known as a tuber ( 2 , 3 ).

If you overdo it with flour, your gnocchi will be too hard, if you put too little they will break during cooking. The rule says that the flour must be at most a third of the amount of potatoes.

Never boil potatoes for gnocchi. Always bake potatoes in their skins to make gnocchi from. It removes maximum moisture from the potato. Don't bake them in advance as you need to use them as soon as they come out of the oven.

Plus, it has too much protein: High-protein wheat results in chewy gnocchi. If you want to be true to Italian gnocchi, look for imported Italian flour marked "00 tenero," which is milled from soft wheat with a low protein content.

Since this includes a non-grain-based flour, Trader Joe's Cauliflower Gnocchi is fair game on Whole30. It's the perfect comfort meal when that pasta craving hits every night (or is that just me?)

Is gnocchi better or worse for you than pasta? ›

Nutritional Value

Believe it or not, regular pasta is actually more carb-heavy than gnocchi, coming in at around 2 times the amount of carbs per serving. Gnocchi is also notorious for having a lot more sodium, with over 200 grams of it per serving. Regular pasta doesn't have nearly as high of a sodium content.

TJ's cauliflower version is gluten-free, like most gnocchi varieties, but it's also egg-free, making it uber allergy-friendly. TJ's cauliflower gnocchi is popular for its versatility, pleasant taste and texture, and convenience.

In the Fridge for a Few Days

You can store raw, uncooked gnocchi on a lightly floured tray, covered with a clean tea towel in a cool and dry place for just a few hours. If you need to store them longer, then cook or freeze them.

Chewy gnocchi are the result of too much flour and over kneading the dough. It's important to knead the dough just until it comes together into a smooth ball and no more. This is because you don't want to encourage too much gluten development which makes them tough, chewy and rubbery.

Yes, it is safe to reheat gnocchi as long as they are stored properly in the refrigerator prior to reheating and are heated to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).

Examples of foods you can eat while on the AIP diet include: Vegetables that aren't nightshade vegetables like cucumbers, spinach, sweet potatoes and zucchini. Fresh fruits like apples, oranges, mangos, strawberries, bananas and blueberries.

Sweet potatoes, being a naturally high-carb food, are unfortunately not keto-friendly. Nutritionists believe that the high carb content in sweet potatoes cannot easily fit into keto macros, the common ratio for which is 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrates.

People with kidney problems must avoid eating sweet potatoes because an improper functioning kidney cannot remove potassium from their body, causing high potassium levels that can be harmful to them. Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of oxalates that may increase the risk of calcium-oxalate kidney stones.

Here at The Paleo Diet, we recommend focusing on foods with a low glycemic load, which means that the food will only minimally impact blood sugar and insulin levels. Since corn is high in starch, it's also high on the glycemic index.