ARE POTATOES GOOD FOR YOU? MEAL PLAN WITH POTATOES AND FRIENDS.
If you have ever been wondering if white potatoes are good for you, you´re not alone.. 🙋🏼♀️
They might not be such a fashion as avocado and they are not as pretty as raspberries…
On top of that, there are so many different opinions about potatoes in terms of health.
Many people think that potatoes contain too many carbs and therefore are making them fat.
Others seem to be confused about starch offering any benefit to the body.
So I´ve done some research and I gave it a really good thought. 🤔
Being born in central Europe I was raised in a potato culture..
Potatoes were on the menu almost every day and you can even find them in deserts. 🤯
Most of the meals are very heavy and many people suffer from cardiovascular diseases, people over 40+ years old are mostly overweight, huge bellies on men, no waistline on women and cancer is also very frequent.
So naturally you might think that potatoes are the guilty guys. But you cannot be further from the truth…
It's all about the way how potatoes were used in most cultures - as a heavy fried side dish or combined with heavy creams and wheat flour to make dough and then fry or cook it again… are you getting the traditional picture? No wonder I´ve developed some serious digestive issues back then and it took me years to figure out what was wrong.🤦🏼♀️
For some reason, potatoes were lately used in a very inappropriate way.
People think of fries, potato chips, purees combined with butter and cream, roasted with butter again or as a side to an already very nutrient meaty meal. It just cannot end up well..🍟
In fact, a study published in 2017 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who ate fried potatoes twice a week saw an increased risk of death. The study examined potato intake in 4,400 people between the ages of 45 and 79. By the end of the eight-year study, 236 people had died. Researchers found that those who ate fried potatoes — French fries, hash browns, home fries and more — were more than twice as likely to have died.
So I would say we need to change the mindset around potatoes.
Because here are some mind blowing nutritional facts about them.
When cooked the right way — without heaps of butter, cheese or cream — they can be very beneficial for you.
Potatoes are low in calories — a medium-sized baked potato contains only about 110 calories. They are a good source of vitamins C and B6, manganese, phosphorus, niacin and pantothenic acid.
A medium 5.3 oz skin on potato has :
27 mg of vitamin C per serving, which is 30% of the daily value. Potatoes are considered to be an excellent source of this antioxidant. Vitamin C aids in collagen production—a major component of muscle tissue— and supports iron absorption.
620 mg of potassium per serving, which is 15% of the daily value and more than a medium-sized banana (422 mg per serving). Potassium is an electrolyte essential for muscle functioning. Potassium is lost in sweat, so it needs to be replenished for optimal performance.
0.2 mg of vitamin B6 per serving, which is 10% of the daily value and considered to be a good source. Vitamin B6 plays important roles in carbohydrate and protein metabolism.
And what about that starch?
In a world of low-carb love, starchy foods often get a bad reputation. But just like carbs aren't the enemy, starch isn't all bad, either—in fact, some can be truly beneficial to your health, like resistant starch in potatoes. Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that travels through the small intestine without fully digesting. By the time resistant starches reach the colon, they ferment and serve as a prebiotic (which feed the good bacteria in your gut).
Now that you might feel quite excited about giving potatoes another chance, it get´s even better.
There are similar tuber vegetable and plenty of varieties that may vary in components, but get you a lovely wide range of nutrients. Such as taro, jicama or sweet potato - it contains more sugar, but also double amount of fiber, that calms down the insulin reaction in the body and it contains 120% of daily value of Vit A.
I don´t know about you, but I love to try out new varieties of different veggies in my cooking and that´s what I´ve included in this Potato Weekly Menu.
If you can find different varieties, go for it and have some play time and if not, all the recipes work well with white potatoes as well.
And now, let´s dive into this week's potato menu done the right way.🍠 ⬇️
SATURDAY:
✅ Get a nice variety of potatoes and tuber vegetables, I like to mix different types, but it´s up to you and what´s available.
SUNDAY MEAL PREP:
✅ Make a big batch of SWEET POTATO & KALE SOUP to freeze portions for later.
✅ Make AYURVEDA VEG STEW - another great big batch recipe I love to find in my freezer when life gets busy.
✅ Cook baby potatoes for HERBY POTATO SALAD - this salad will be great for up to 5 days in your fridge
✅ Make GLUTEN & LACTOSE FREE BERRY MUFFINS
Well done! Easy, right? 🤷🏼♀️
More delicious potato ideas…
TREAT OF THE WEEK.
No potatoes in the desert, but a really easy to make treat - GLUTEN & LACTOSE FREE BERRY MUFFINS
Enjoy, take care of yourself and let me know in the comments which one was your favorite.
Have an awesome week! 💙