Why You Shouldn't Be Anti-Spud
Eating potatoes won’t necessarily leave you looking like a sack of potatoes. The humble potato is often overlooked but there was a time when potatoes were traded with gold directly so they can’t be all bad!
Potatoes should not be underestimated in their nutritional value
They contain almost all of the nutrients that the human body needs to survive - with a good amount of carbs and fiber, resistant starch, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium.
Potatoes are a great source of resistant starch, this type of starch is not digested in the small intestine so passes to the large intestine where it can feed beneficial gut bacteria. Cold potatoes are great for your gut as they contain the highest amounts of resistant starch.
Potatoes have a bad reputation because they are commonly associated with processed and fatty fast foods. Processed potatoes and processed potato products are less nutrient dense than whole potatoes. Whole potatoes can be delicious and nutritious - it all depends on how you cook them.
The skins on the potatoes are the most nutrient dense and fibrous part, consuming both the skin and flesh maximizes the amount of goodness you get. So keep your skins on, just give them a good scrub right before cooking!
Potatoes are high on the glycemic index, meaning they can impact your blood sugar. If you add a tablespoon of healthy fat when cooking that will lead to a slower release of sugar and allow the vitamins within the potato to be better absorbed.
Not only are potatoes good for you but they are also good for the planet. They are one of the most sustainable vegetables, requiring little to no fertilizer and chemicals to thrive like other vegetables do.
