Are You Eating Potato the Right Way?

Potatoes are one of the world's most beloved foods, yet they've earned a complicated reputation. For every person who loves this humble spud, another shuns it as an unhealthy carb.

But what if the potato itself isn't the problem? What if the real issue lies in how we prepare and eat it?

There’s a right way to eat potatoes that unlocks their impressive nutritional benefits and a wrong way that can turn this wholesome vegetable into a dietary villain. This guide will walk you through the common potato pitfalls to avoid and the best methods for enjoying them, so you can bring this versatile staple back to your plate, guilt-free.

Nutritional Content of Potato

It's important to recognize that at its core, a potato is a nutritional powerhouse. A single medium-sized potato served with the skin contains:

• More Potassium Than a Banana: A medium potato can provide up to 18% of your daily recommended potassium, which is crucial for regulating blood pressure.

• Rich in Vitamin C: You can get up to 45% of your daily vitamin C from one potato, an essential antioxidant for immune function and skin health.

• A Good Source of Fiber: The skin, in particular, is rich in fiber, which aids digestion and promotes a feeling of fullness. Potatoes also contain a special type of fiber called "resistant starch," which acts as a prebiotic to feed the good bacteria in your gut.

• Naturally Free From...: Potatoes are naturally fat-free, sodium-free, and gluten-free, making them suitable for many dietary needs.

The Wrong Way to Eat Potatoes

The potato's downfall often begins in the kitchen. Certain preparation methods and additions can strip away its health benefits and add unhealthy fats, calories, and chemicals.

Deep-Frying

French fries and potato chips are perhaps the biggest culprits in giving potatoes a bad name. Submerging them in hot oil adds a significant amount of fat and calories. High-temperature frying can create acrylamide, a compound formed when starchy foods are cooked at extremely high temperatures, resulting in a 200-300% increase in calorie content. Furthermore, studies have linked a higher intake of French fries to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Loading Up on Unhealthy Toppings

A baked potato is a healthy canvas, but it's often buried under heaps of butter, full-fat sour cream, cheese, and bacon bits. These toppings add substantial amounts of saturated fat and sodium, overshadowing the potato's natural goodness.

Using a Blender or Food Processor for Mashing

If you've ever ended up with a gluey, paste-like mash, you've likely overworked the potato's starch. Using high-powered tools like a blender or hand mixer breaks down the starch cells too much, resulting in a gummy texture. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when preparing mashed potatoes.

Peeling Away the Nutrients

Many of the potato's nutrients, including a large portion of its fiber and antioxidants, are concentrated in the skin. In fact, the skin can contain up to 12 times more antioxidants than the flesh. When you peel your potatoes, you're tossing out some of their most valuable components.

Eating Green Potatoes

If you notice your potatoes have turned green, it's a sign they've been exposed to light, which increases the concentration of compounds called glycoalkaloids (like solanine). In large amounts, these can be toxic and cause digestive upset. While you'd need to eat a lot to feel the effects, it's best to avoid eating the green parts of a potato.

The Right Way to Eat Potatoes

Enjoying potatoes in a way that maximizes their health benefits is simple. It all comes down to gentle cooking methods and mindful additions.

Boil or Steam Them

Boiling is one of the healthiest ways to cook potatoes because it requires no added fat. To minimize the loss of water-soluble nutrients like vitamin C and potassium, boil them with the skins on and try not to overcook them. Waxy potatoes, like red potatoes or new potatoes, hold their shape well when boiled and are perfect for potato salads.

Bake or Roast Them

Baking a potato with its skin on is an excellent way to preserve its nutrients. A perfectly baked potato with a crispy skin and fluffy interior needs very little to be delicious. If roasting, toss potato chunks with a small amount of olive oil and herbs before baking to add flavor without excess fat.

Let Them Cool Down

Here's a science-backed trick: cook your potatoes, then let them cool in the fridge overnight. This process significantly increases their resistant starch content. This type of fiber isn't digested in the small intestine; instead, it travels to the large intestine, where it feeds beneficial gut bacteria. You can eat the potatoes cold in a salad or reheat them—they will still retain the extra resistant starch.

Mash Them the Right Way

For light and fluffy mashed potatoes, use starchy potatoes like Russets, which break down easily. After boiling, mash them by hand with a potato masher or use a potato ricer while they are still hot. Instead of heavy cream and butter, try mixing in a bit of warm milk, Greek yogurt, or a drizzle of olive oil for creaminess. And don't forget to generously season the cooking water with salt to flavor the potatoes from the inside out.

The Bottom Line

Remember, the difference between a healthy potato dish and an unhealthy one usually comes down to what you do to it, not the potato itself. By focusing on cooking methods that preserve nutrients and choosing toppings that add flavor without excess fat, you can enjoy potatoes as a regular part of a healthy, balanced diet.