by If you say “potato,” and then “healthy,” you might half-bake your ideas.
At best, potatoes are often seen as a starchy vegetable that hasn’t achieved the status of rock stars like leafy greens or carrots. At worst, tartares are the basis for all manner of salty, greasy snacks – and a metaphor for mental inactivity.
But couch potato types aside, potatoes have a place in a healthy diet, nutrition experts say. Spoiler alert: No one is offering a free pass to change your fries. But you can find other ways to enjoy them on your holiday table or throughout the year – especially if you pay attention to the preparation.
“The potato is nothing to worry about,” said Dr. Emily Johnston, assistant research professor at New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine. She studies the prevention of diabetes in adults and has researched potatoes and their health effects.
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The spud’s modern association with laziness ignores its history as a world leader. Although potatoes were domesticated in the Andes of South America at least 5,000 years ago, they did not cross the Atlantic until the 1500s. They fed a starving Europe, which fueled a population boom that led to the Industrial Revolution.
Today, potatoes are the most consumed vegetable in the US – just ahead of the tomato, according to the US Department of Agriculture. (Sing now if you must, but people who watch things like this hardly ever say “pa-TAH-to.”)
The reputation of the plain white potato as an unhealthy food is at odds with some of the facts, Johnston said.
They are classified as a starchy vegetable, along with corn and yams. Starches are “an important component of the diet that is sometimes harmful,” Johnston said. Potatoes are complex carbohydrates, so your body breaks them down slowly, providing long-lasting energy.
The Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults eat the equivalent of at least 2 1/2 cups of vegetables per day and allow room for about 5 cups per week of starchy veggies.
According to the USDA, a medium baked russet potato has more calories than a cup of raw carrots, kale or corn. But at only 164 calories, it is still a low-calorie food. It is also a good source of vitamin C, providing 16% of the recommended daily intake for an adult man and 19% for a woman.
A plain potato has no fat, cholesterol or sodium, Johnston said, “and we get some good nutrients.”
Importantly, it’s also high in potassium (37% of the daily value for women, 28% for men) and about 4 grams of fiber—nutrients most Americans don’t get enough of, Johnston said. . Potassium is important for heart health, and fiber can help improve blood cholesterol levels.
So what is the problem? “Hardly anyone eats a plain potato,” Johnston said.
Baked potatoes end up slathered in butter and / or sour cream and sprinkle with bacon – sources of additional calories and saturated fat, which the American Heart Association recommends limiting to about 13 grams per day.
About a third of the potatoes grown in the United States are frozen products—mostly French fries. A large order of fries from one fast food chain has 480 calories, 23 grams of fat and 400 milligrams of sodium. (The ideal sodium limit per day for an adult, says the AHA, is 1,500 mg.)
People’s tendency to pair potatoes with unhealthy foods has been a problem for researchers, Johnston said, leading to conflicting conclusions over the years.
Her own research includes a 2020 study at Penn State University published in the British Journal of Nutrition. It was a trial in which 50 healthy adults ate a side dish every day for four weeks made of steamed or baked potatoes with skin or refined grains, such as pasta, rice, couscous or bread. Then they switched to the side dish for four weeks.
In the end, cardiometabolic factors such as blood sugar or weight were not worse when participants ate the potato side compared to when they ate the refined grain side, and their fiber and potassium intake and diet quality were overall food was actually better when they ate potatoes.
Separately, an analysis of more than two dozen studies found a clear link between eating french fries and the risk of high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. But the results, published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2018, showed that other types of preparation had only a “slight effect” on both conditions.
So, if you’re in the mood for a potato dish, there’s no need to call the whole thing out. But it is important how you cook potatoes.
“Boiling removes a lot of the nutrients, so that’s one of my least preferred methods,” Johnston said. She also recommends not using potato flakes, which can strip them of nutrients while adding sodium, sugars or oils.
But baking, broiling and steaming work just as well, she said. However you prepare them, consider leaving the skin on: Although nutrients are found throughout the potato, she said, about half the fiber is in the skin.
Sweet potatoes and purple potatoes would add different nutrients, she said, but “there’s not a big difference between the white varieties,” she said. Fiber varies a bit, but “the most important variable is still the cooking method.”
Johnston suggested flavoring them with herbs and spices such as dill or oregano, or fresh chives. Instead of salt, try onion powder or garlic powder. Replace sour cream with low-fat yoghurt.
“I had some the other night that was roasted with a little avocado oil and some rosemary,” she said. Another heart-healthy choice for flavoring is extra virgin olive oil, she said, and compared to butter, it saves a lot of saturated fat.
For mashed potatoes, instead of heavy cream, try low-fat milk or unsweetened plant milk. Blending in cauliflower can increase the fiber content and lower the calories, Johnston said. Or just skip the mashed variety. “Perhaps make roast potatoes or something like that. The holiday table looks really nice with the different colored potatoes.”
The same goes for traditional latkes, a Hanukkah favorite. They’re usually fried, but they can be baked and even air-fried, Johnston said. “Some recipes include shredded carrots or zucchini to add more fiber and water and reduce calories.”
She admits that some people may miss their favorite holiday recipe, even if it exceeds the boundaries of ideal nutrition. So, for special occasions, another option is to prepare them however you want. “Make them as you like them and enjoy them, and try to eat them in smaller portions.”
