I am an Idaho girl and I LOVE my potatoes. Growing up I think we ate potatoes at least once a day with at least one meal. I absolutely love them and had a hard time when all of the experts said that they were bad for us and we needed to stay away. That low-carb craze told us that we had to stay away from potatoes because they would pack on the pounds. As a result we avoided them at all costs. But luckily, that thinking has now changed. Potatoes are actually a nutrient powerhouse, says Elisa Zied, R.D., the author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips. "They're loaded with vitamin C and potassium, and they're a good source of fiber which fills us up and helps keep cholesterol levels healthy," she explains. "Potatoes with red or purple skins also contain carotenoids and other antioxidants that fight damage from free radicals that can cause disease." In recent research, purple potatoes have also been shown to reduce blood pressure without causing weight gain.
So stop shunning those spuds and start adding them to your plate! Just remember to do so within reason. One medium potato (or a cup of diced or mashed) counts as one serving of vegetables. But remember that potatoes are starchy so make sure you round out your meal with a colorful second veggie, like broccoli or tomatoes.
Showing posts with label baked potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baked potatoes. Show all posts
11.06.2014
6.17.2013
Are You Eating Enough of THIS Veggie?
I was reading a Women's Health article on potatoes and was surprised at some of the things I have learned. Researchers are saying that eating potatoes is just as important as filling up on more colorful produce. Read through all of their interesting findings and see if you can't start finding ways to incorporate more potatoes into your diet!
In the past, spuds haven't been a vegetable that received a lot of love. Researchers in nutrition science are now wanting all of us to know that we definitely shouldn't avoid them. They are finding that eating potatoes is just as important as filling up on the other, more colorful veggies, according to a new supplement published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.
Researchers gathered at Purdue University to bust the myth that white veggies--potatoes in particular--aren't as nutritious as colored ones. While potatoes get a bad rap for being starchy, they are also filled with vital nutrients, says supplement coauthor Connie Weaver, PhD, head of the department of nutrition science at Purdue University. One medium baked potato provides 11 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake and 12 percent of your recommended daily magnesium intake. What's more, potatoes are the highest dietary source of potassium.
It's not hat you have to replace other vegetables with potatoes, says Weaver. But since people in the U.S. generally don't get enough fiber, potassium and magnesium according to the National Institutes of Health, you don't want to nix them from your diet either.
The bottom line: when it comes to which veggies you eat, it's not one versus the other, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It and nutrition expert in New York.
"The important thing to emphasize is variety," she says. "One fruit or vegetable doesn't give us everything we need--it's the blend of colors that count, and that includes potatoes."
In the past, spuds haven't been a vegetable that received a lot of love. Researchers in nutrition science are now wanting all of us to know that we definitely shouldn't avoid them. They are finding that eating potatoes is just as important as filling up on the other, more colorful veggies, according to a new supplement published in the journal Advances in Nutrition.
Researchers gathered at Purdue University to bust the myth that white veggies--potatoes in particular--aren't as nutritious as colored ones. While potatoes get a bad rap for being starchy, they are also filled with vital nutrients, says supplement coauthor Connie Weaver, PhD, head of the department of nutrition science at Purdue University. One medium baked potato provides 11 percent of your recommended daily fiber intake and 12 percent of your recommended daily magnesium intake. What's more, potatoes are the highest dietary source of potassium.
It's not hat you have to replace other vegetables with potatoes, says Weaver. But since people in the U.S. generally don't get enough fiber, potassium and magnesium according to the National Institutes of Health, you don't want to nix them from your diet either.
The bottom line: when it comes to which veggies you eat, it's not one versus the other, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, author of Read It Before You Eat It and nutrition expert in New York.
"The important thing to emphasize is variety," she says. "One fruit or vegetable doesn't give us everything we need--it's the blend of colors that count, and that includes potatoes."
12.20.2010
Light Loaded Potato Soup from the Titanium Chef
Baked potato soup is delicious but with all the cream, butter and sour cream it isn't exactly healthy for you. This recipe is adapted from "Cooking Light". Give it a try, its very easy to throw together and is just as delicious as its fattier counterpart.
Light Loaded Potato Soup
Makes 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cup each)
4 (6-ounce) red potatoes
2 tdp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 cups fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
3 T flour
2 cups low fat milk, divided
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 bacon slices, halved
1/3 cup shredded cheese
4 tsp thinly sliced green onions
Scrub and dry potatoes, prick them all over with a fork. Place potatoes on a plate and microwave them on high, about 13 mintues. Potatoes should be tender. Cut them in half, set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add onion, and saute for 3 minutes. Add broth.
In a small bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup milk. Add the mixture to the pan wit 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat. Stir in sour cream, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place a paper towel on a microwave safe plate. Arrange bacon halves on paper towel, cover them with a second paper towel. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon. Set aside.
Scoop the potato pulp out of the skins, and mash the pulp into the soup. Discard skins.
Garnish each serving of soup with cheese, green onions and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.
Light Loaded Potato Soup
Makes 4 servings (about 1 1/4 cup each)
4 (6-ounce) red potatoes
2 tdp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 cups fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
3 T flour
2 cups low fat milk, divided
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 bacon slices, halved
1/3 cup shredded cheese
4 tsp thinly sliced green onions
Scrub and dry potatoes, prick them all over with a fork. Place potatoes on a plate and microwave them on high, about 13 mintues. Potatoes should be tender. Cut them in half, set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add onion, and saute for 3 minutes. Add broth.
In a small bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup milk. Add the mixture to the pan wit 1 1/2 cups milk. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook for 1 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat. Stir in sour cream, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place a paper towel on a microwave safe plate. Arrange bacon halves on paper towel, cover them with a second paper towel. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Crumble bacon. Set aside.
Scoop the potato pulp out of the skins, and mash the pulp into the soup. Discard skins.
Garnish each serving of soup with cheese, green onions and crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.
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