The most adaptable of all vegetables, potatoes are a powerhouse of vitamins, fiber, and other vital minerals. Additionally, potatoes have a specific kind of starch called resistant starch, which functions similarly to soluble fiber in making you feel full and consuming fewer calories. Boiling potatoes is one of the finest methods to satisfy your stomach without worrying about gaining weight, according to nutritionists.
Several dishes may be produced from this root vegetable, from fries to mashed potatoes. But out of those, which is the greatest and healthiest way to eat potatoes? Let’s look at it.
What Kind Of Potatoes Are Healthiest To Eat?
When properly prepared, potatoes are a very healthy component of a diet that is balanced. Unfortunately, several common potato treatments render them even less healthy than they were before.
Potatoes often maintain their minerals, proteins, and fiber well after cooking. However, heating considerably reduces the amount of vitamins C and B6. Carotenoids and anthocyanins also recover more quickly from cooking because their antioxidant activity is increased.
Benefits Of Potatoes For Health
Let’s first examine the health advantages of potatoes before learning the best way to eat them. The first benefit of potatoes is their low-calorie content; a medium-cooked potato has only 110 calories. They also include manganese, phosphorus, niacin, and pantothenic acid in addition to vitamin C and B6.
According to the USDA, potatoes are rich in phytonutrients, natural plant substances thought to be healthy. Among the phytonutrients found in potatoes include caffeic acid, flavonoids, and carotenoids.
Potatoes contain vitamin C, an antioxidant. These compounds may prevent or postpone various types of cell damage, according to research. They may also improve blood pressure, heart health, digestion, and possibly cancer prevention.
What Is The Most Healthful Method To Eat Potatoes?
Few meals are as satisfying as potatoes, which may also be cooked in a variety of healthy ways, such as boiling, steaming, and baking. However, frying potatoes is not the greatest method of preparing them because the amount of oil it comes into touch with could significantly increase their calorie content. But when prepared properly, potatoes can help you lose weight by reducing appetite and cravings.
A whole, unprocessed potato is the finest kind to consume. Baking potato results in the least loss of nutrients compared to microwaving, making it the healthiest method of preparation.
Since steaming retains more nutrients than boiling, it is the second-healthiest method for cooking potatoes. However, cooking a peeled potato in this manner causes significant nutrient loss because the water-soluble nutrients leach into the cooking liquid.
Here Are A Few Nutritious Potato Cooking Methods
Boil potatoes with their skins to preserve nutrients lost in the cooking water since boiling potatoes without their skins can reduce their nutritional content, including vitamin C and B vitamins. Use as little water as possible when steaming potatoes.
Baked potatoes are the healthiest way to eat potatoes. The purest form of potatoes is whole and baked with the skin on it because this process can minimize nutrient loss.
Eat various potatoes to get a variety of antioxidants. To increase the same phytochemicals found in blueberries and grapes, for instance, combine white sweet potatoes with orange sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes.
As A Final Thought
A diet heavy in potato consumption is not advised by nutritionists. Obtaining all 20 essential amino acids and 30 vitamins and minerals from a single food is essentially impossible. However, combining white and sweet potatoes will bring you closer. Keep in mind that eating nothing but potatoes would be bad for your health.