White potatoes get a bad rap.
In a post gastric bypass diet, mashed potatoes are one of our favorite foods. They are easy to digest and taste great. Of course, nutritionists recommend you don’t load them up with butter, sour cream, or even cheese. But most of us do anyway. The amount we eat is so small, we don’t worry about it.
Jump ahead a few years, maybe even a few months, and the humble potato is going to cause the pounds to find their way right back to our hips if we aren’t careful. Now, why is that? The answer may seem obvious, but the question is more complicated than it appears.
How White Potatoes Got A Bad Rap
The potato has been the subject of scientific studies for decades. However, early studies, only included data on potato consumption and failed to consider how the potatoes were prepared. Turns out the volunteers for these studies were eating large amounts of French fries and potato chips. This led researchers to the conclusion that white potatoes were unhealthy, and a major contributor to weight gain, obesity, and some illnesses.
More recent studies have taken preparation into account and have elevated the potato’s standing and it is now thought of as a healthy component of our diets. What used to be considered a bad carbohydrate has made a complete turnaround and is now back on the good carb list.
Fun Fact: Very Well Fit notes a Harvard University study that states potatoes are a fattening starch not worthy of status as a vegetable.
Virtues of The Potato
There is no need to cut out white potatoes to lose weight or maintain your weight. Potatoes can be a vital part of your diet because they contain many valuable nutrients. Consider the virtue of one medium white potato:
- More potassium than bananas, 740mg vs. 450mg and more magnesium, 37mg v. 32mg
- An excellent source of vitamin B6 (0.3mg) and vitamin C (17.4mg)
- Has 3g of both protein and fiber
- Is only 110-130 calories per serving
- They have 29g of healthy complex carbs
- It has only 2g of sugar
- It even has 1mg of iron
- The potato is fat, sodium, and cholesterol-free
As a carbohydrate, the potato ranks high on the glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index measures the rise in glucose levels two hours after consuming food. This can be a negative or a positive, depending on what your needs are. Athletes love the potato because of their GI. To lower the index for weight loss purposes add a small dose of a healthy fat, like olive oil.
The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy to the cells of the body, particularly the brain. While most body tissues and organs prefer carbohydrates as their primary fuel source, some, like the brain, red and white blood cells, and certain parts of the kidney require it.
Healthy plant protein is beneficial to weight loss and potatoes contain high-quality protein because of their amino acid composition. They exceeded the recommended amino acid levels for lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan.
Baked potatoes contain choline, an essential nutrient most of us don’t get enough of. WebMD states eating foods with choline can help reduce inflammation.
Healthy Potato Prep
Besides being 20 years post gastric bypass, I am going through menopause. Needless to say, my carb cravings are pretty much out of control. Sometimes all I want is potato chips. So it’s ironic that white potatoes have become my go-to carb as I try to maintain healthy eating habits. It’s not the potato that is the problem when it comes to eating right, it’s what we do to it that causes problems.
Today’s popular fad diets would have you eliminate potatoes from your diet completely. I don’t subscribe to that. If fad diets worked for me I wouldn’t have had to have a gastric bypass in the first place.
I try to just eat smart. I take small servings. I make sure to include one protein, two to three servings of vegetables, a carb, and a healthy fat in my dinner. I also try to stop eating when I’m full, which some researchers believe the potato can help with.
The recommended healthy ways to prepare potatoes are: baked, boiled, grilled, poached, roasted, and sautéed. Frying of any kind is never considered a healthy choice.
My Favorite Ways to Cook Potatoes
Double Baked
I’m one of the lucky people who can enjoy a baked potato without a lot of unhealthy toppings. Not everyone can. There’s a reason why the loaded baked potato is on the menu in so many restaurants.
The key to the Double Baked Potato is in the prep. It’s a bit time-consuming but worth the effort.
I wash and scrub the potatoes thoroughly then dry them. I put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and cook at 350°F for about an hour, depending on the size of the potatoes. When they’re done I let them cool until I can handle them easily. Once I can, I cut each potato in half, lengthwise, scoop out about half the potato, then coat them with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle them with kosher salt, then bake again for 20 minutes, skin side up. When done they are reminiscent of potato skins. They are both crispy and soft at the same time. Add a bit of butter, or sprinkle some shredded cheese, and enjoy.
My family likes it when I mash up the scooped-out insides and add steamed broccoli and cheddar cheese. I then stuff the potato halves and put them back in to bake for the third time. Making a Triple Baked Potato.
Note: As part of what I believe to be a healthy diet, I do eat butter. I usually buy Land O’ Lakes Butter with Canola Oil or Olive Oil, when looking for something that spreads easily, but for baked potatoes and mashed potatoes, I prefer the real thing. I just don’t use a lot of it. (I never, never eat margarine. Did I stress that enough? Nevvveeerrr! eat margarine. Do I even need to say why?) We all need to have healthy fats as part of our diet, while butter is not considered part of that group, I use it so infrequently that I have no qualms about using it when I want to.
Boiled
Most of the time when we boil potatoes in the United States it is to make mashed potatoes. According to Statista.com mashed potatoes are the 2nd most popular dish in America.
My favorite dish using boiled potatoes does end up in a rough mash, but it’s not the kind you may know and love.
I don’t have a name for this one, but it’s pretty simple. I peel and cut up several white potatoes, a carrot or two, and a medium-sized onion. I cook them in chicken broth until tender.
When I plate them, I mash them up with my fork, so it’s a rough mash. Add, a bit of butter and some of the reserved broth they were cooked in and that’s it. Quick, easy, and healthy.
Roasted
I absolutely love Fingerling potatoes. They are my favorite potato, followed closely by baby red and baby white potatoes. I prepare them all the same, simple way. Roasted until the skin snaps when you bite into them and they are tender and creamy on the inside.
As usual, I start by thoroughly washing the potatoes and drying them. Leaving the skin on, I put them in a bowl, coat them in olive oil and season them liberally. They bake on a parchment paper-lined pan, for roughly 20 minutes at 350°F.
The best thing about potatoes is there are so many ways to season them. I tend to use salt, pepper, paprika, and granulated garlic all the time. I do switch it up sometimes by removing the paprika and adding Cajun seasoning or Italian seasoning. No matter which I choose, these potatoes are always a hit at my house.
One of the great things about the potato is there are so many ways to prepare them. It’s easy to keep them healthy and still enjoy them in a variety of ways.