Are potatoes bad for you? [OLD]

 Yes and no.

Yes, because usually we eat them in the form of chips or crisps which means they are fried in the doubtful quality oil and have loads of salt. If you're buying frozen chips or eating them in the pub or restaurant, the chances are they will be highly processed and with lots of additives. Either way, most of the time we have them cooked at high temperatures (too high for too long and carcinogens, such as acrylamide, start forming). Also, many potato products have high glycemic index. And almost always we peel the skin. For these reasons, potato is not even considered a vegetable by many nutritionists.

But no, they are not bad for you. It just depends on how you prepare and eat them. The best way to cook potatoes is lightly steaming - using a minimum amount of water and not throwing it away if there's any left (water soluble compounds stay exactly there - in the water). Ideally, don't fry or microwave them and don't eat them mashed, especially don't use instant mash (higher GI). Baking is the second best thing but try using lower temperature. And don't get rid of the skin - that's where all the fun is! Oh, and don't eat green potatoes.

The humble potato actually contains a good amount of vitamin C (yes, that's right!) and a great amino acid profile (surprise - potato has protein!). On top of that it contains B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, iron and obviously fibre. Spuds have lots of energy-giving carbohydrates, and contrary to common belief, not a lot of sugar (as long as you don't overprocess it)! It fills you up and it's cheap! What's there not to like?

There's even someone eating only potatoes for the whole year - and losing weight! Fair enough, he's also eating sweet potatoes which are also great. Not that I recommend this particular diet [it's just interesting as an experiment]! Variety is the key, and there are so many healthful foods out there. Are potatoes better than kale? Hm, probably not. But it doesn't mean that potatoes don't belong in the healthy diet.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Everything red

If you have a choice, it’s best to choose colour . I mean, have red cabbage over regular white. Red onion over white.  Red/black grapes. Purple sweet potato (and potato!). Deep red beetroot. Purple carrots. Red apples. Red or yellow pepper (a disclaimer: I actively dislike green pepper as it’s simply an unripe pepper). Red or black beans. Red/black rice. Dark and deep red berries. As well as many other colourful foods!  Colour = phytochemicals that are beneficial to our health.  Does it mean regular carrots or sweet potatoes are less healthy? Far from it; in fact, they have lovely colours of their own. And even the “pale” versions of these foods have lots to offer, only with the additional colour we get that little bit more. Hence why I say, if you have a choice!
Read more

Is dried fruit a health food? [OLD]

Image
Many of us these days try to choose healthier snacks, such as cereal bars, nuts, seeds, raisins and dates. But is dried fruit a health food? Dentists would probably say that it isn't as it can get stuck between the teeth and increase the risk of developing cavities... Also, dried fruit is void of water, so sugar is much more concentrated than in regular fruit. In reality we might eat 2-3 apricots but eating them dried makes us consume way more: smaller volume just doesn't fill us up, and they do taste nice and sweet. This in turn can spike our blood sugar (and crash it back down...). Another side that we rarely think of is that sometimes fruit that is chosen for drying may be of the poorest quality - sad looking, damaged, underripe or overripe that is not deemed to be of saleable condition when fresh. Generally fruit needs to be dried quickly, so often high temperatures are used which may cause many vitamins to be lost and damaging compounds to be created. You need to reach hig...
Read more

Looking for presents for the "health nutters"? [OLD]

These days everyone knows at least one vegan, gluten free, paleo or any other health/eco "nutter" (aka a person into healthy lifestyle). They can be a real pain at the dinner table or when thinking of presents... In case you needed some last minute Christmas gift ideas, you're in luck! The limit is only the depth of your wallet. Obviously - some health foods! You could make up a whole hamper with chia seeds, coconut oil, spirulina, acerola powder, coconut jerky, lucuma powder, kale crisps, goji berries, herbal teas, freeze dried fruit, yacon syrup, coconut sugar - or just pick one for a healthy stocking filler! Look for some dairy free or raw chocolates while you're at it. Exotic fruit basket - make one yourself or order online, and include weird fruits like starfruit, guava, tamarind, jackfruit, mangosteen, durian, cherimoya, lychee, rambutan, longan, prickly pear, papaya, kumquat, dragon fruit and all sorts! Fun, tasty and educational. A piece of natural skincare - ...
Read more