It is hard to imagine the German diet without potatoes. French fries, potatoes with cottage cheese, potato pancakes or fried potatoes are just some of the many uses for the nightshade plant. The way they are prepared has a major influence on the health value of potatoes, because the tubers themselves contain hardly any fat and only a few calories. But if they are deep-fried or, for example, baked with cheese as a casserole, this changes quickly, of course. We show you what all is in potatoes and which recipes with potatoes are particularly healthy.
Potatoes: many carbohydrates, few calories
Potatoes are known for their high content of carbohydrates and are therefore often mistaken for fatteners. In fact, however, the tubers also known as earth apple can be good helpers in losing weight. Potatoes provide a lot of carbohydrates, but they keep you full for a long time. They contain many nutrients, but almost no fat. These properties should not be underestimated, because carbohydrates have not even half as many calories as fat. Thus, cooked potatoes bring it to only 70 kilocalories per 100 grams – that’s even less than rice, which in cooked form provides over 100 kilocalories.
Nutritional values of potatoes
Raw potatoes are indigestible for humans due to the starch they contain – it is only when cooked that the starch changes and makes the vegetable edible for us. However, the average content of calories as well as the nutritional values are almost the same for raw and cooked potatoes. They contain:
- 78 percent water
- 16 percent carbohydrates, mostly in the form of starch
- 2.1 percent dietary fiber, which stimulates digestion and creates a long-lasting satiety effect
- 2 percent protein, which can be utilized by the body extremely well due to the high content of essential amino acids. Among all vegetable protein suppliers, potatoes even have the highest proportion of usable protein.
- 0.1 percent fat
In addition, potatoes provide vitamin C, vitamins B1 and B2, as well as niacin (vitamin B2), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and vitamin B6, although the amount depends on the type of preparation. Potatoes are also good sources of the minerals potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Gluten, cholesterol or the gout-promoting purines are not present in potatoes.
Health value dependent on preparation method
That some of the valuable vitamins and minerals in potatoes are lost during cooking is unfortunately unavoidable. However, to keep the loss of healthy ingredients low, potatoes should be boiled or steamed unpeeled and whole with little water. The following examples show how the health value of potatoes changes with the way they are prepared:
- Boiled potatoes have more vitamins than boiled potatoes, which are peeled and cut into pieces before cooking.
- If potatoes are baked in the oven, they lose water, which increases the concentration of their other ingredients.
- Cooking in a pressure cooker loses more vitamins and minerals than boiling.
- Mashed potatoes usually contain butter and milk in addition to mashed potatoes. Depending on the amount added, this makes the content of fat and calories in mashed potatoes significantly higher than in potatoes.
- French fries or potato chips are prepared with a lot of fat and at high temperatures and therefore belong to the unhealthiest potato varieties.
- Fried potatoes from raw potatoes have particularly many nutrients, because all the ingredients remain in the pan during frying. But it is important to prepare the potatoes with little fat.
Sweet potatoes, by the way, are only very distantly related to the potato. However, with 111 kilocalories per 100 grams, they are significantly higher in calories than potatoes.
Potatoes as medicine?
In addition to their slimming effect and healthy ingredients, potatoes are valued for other effects on health. In folk medicine, the alkaline potato juice is used, for example, against stomach problems or heartburn and – applied externally – for injuries and ulcers. Potato compresses have also become established as a household remedy.It is often recommended to mash boiled potatoes in a tea towel when you have a cough or sore throat and, after a short cooling down, to put it on your chest or wrap it around your neck. The potato wrap then continuously provides a soothing warmth. Also with ear pain or a sinusitis such a potato pack is to provide relief. In addition, American scientists found that regular consumption of blue potatoes can slightly lower blood pressure. However, due to the small number of study participants, the results of the study cannot be considered scientifically proven.
Lose weight with the potato diet
While the low carb diet usually bans potatoes from the diet plan, the potato diet relies completely on the versatile tubers. The recipes include dishes such as baked potatoes with low-fat curd cheese or unsalted jacket potatoes seasoned with herbs. Cold potatoes are said to be even better for losing weight, for example in potato salad. Because with cooling down a part of the starch is converted into the ballast material Inulin. However, it is important to drink particularly much during the diet, so that the dietary fiber can swell better in the digestive tract.
Solanine – toxic substance in potatoes.
However, not everything about a potato is healthy: just like the sprouted germ, green parts on potatoes contain the neurotoxin solanine, which can cause nausea, diarrhea and headaches in large quantities. Therefore, when preparing potatoes, sprouts and green areas should be generously cut away. If a potato is extensively stained green, it is advisable to discard it completely. Young children and people with weakened immune systems should be especially critical when selecting edible pieces. Since the skin of potatoes always contains some solanine, it is better to cook the vegetable with the skin on, but peel it before eating, especially if you eat potatoes frequently. An exception here is early potatoes, where most of the nutrients are under the skin, which is why these small potatoes are usually eaten with the skin on. 6 Facts about potatoes – rawpixel
How to store potatoes properly
The green spots occur when potatoes are stored too light. Therefore, potatoes should always be stored in the dark. Paper bags, for example, offer the possibility to store the potatoes protected from light without sweating. In addition, potatoes should be stored at 5 to 10 degrees Celsius in well-ventilated rooms with high humidity – then they can even keep for several months. By the way, potatoes are not good for freezing, because otherwise they become watery and lose flavor. Cooked potatoes should be frozen for a short time at most.
Tips for buying potatoes
Against the expulsion of germs, potatoes are often treated with sprout inhibitors, which in small quantities can also get from the skin into the flesh. Therefore, it is advisable to buy organic potatoes, especially if the tubers are to be eaten with the skin on. In addition, potatoes should appear dry and firm when purchased. You should rather keep your hands off discolored, shriveled or moist potatoes.
Floury or firm potatoes?
There are approximately 5,000 different potato varieties worldwide. Based on their cooking characteristics, potatoes are divided into firm-cooking, predominantly firm-cooking and floury-cooking varieties, which are suitable for different uses in different ways.
- Firm-cooking potatoes have less starch and retain their shape during baking or cooking. They are therefore particularly suitable for potato salad, gratin or fried potatoes, for example. Known waxy potato varieties are Linda, Nicola, Cilena or Belana.
- Predominantly waxy potatoes bounce easily during preparation. They are used for the production of boiled and jacket potatoes, French fries, soups or rösti. This category includes varieties such as Laura, Agria or Gala.
- Floury potatoes often burst when cooked and are therefore particularly suitable for mashed potatoes, stews, dumplings or dumplings. Representatives of this type are Adretta, Melina or Freya.
In addition, potatoes can also differ in the color of the flesh, their shape and the texture and color of the skin.
Cooking potatoes – this is what you should pay attention to
Before cooking potatoes should be washed thoroughly and remove with a knife any shoots and green spots.Then put the tubers – ideally uncut and with peel – in a pot of cold water so that they are just covered with water. When the water boils, add a pinch of salt and reduce the temperature. With the lid closed, the water should now only simmer gently. How long potatoes need to boil can vary depending on the variety. A rough guide is 15 to 20 minutes from the time the water begins to boil. The duration also depends on the size. It is advisable to select tubers of similar size for cooking and, towards the end of the cooking time, to test whether they are also soft on the inside by carefully piercing them with a knife. When they are cooked, drain the potatoes. Quenching with cold water can make peeling easier, but it is not a must.
9 Ideas for healthy recipes with potatoes
Potatoes are enormously versatile. They are suitable both for savory dishes, such as baked potatoes at the barbecue, and for sweet dishes, such as potato pancakes with applesauce. Here are nine healthy recipe ideas with potatoes:
- Arugula potato soup: for this quick and easy appetizer, potatoes are boiled in vegetable broth and then mashed with fresh arugula.
- Apple and potato casserole: For this, apple slices, potato slices and onion rings are alternately layered in a casserole dish. Cream of leek soup can serve as a sauce.
- Potato wedges with parsnips and carrots: All ingredients are chopped, the potatoes are seasoned with paprika powder and a little salt and everything is cooked with a little oil in the oven.
- Potato leek soup: the soup is a classic and can be prepared with or without minced meat.
- Mashed potatoes and kohlrabi: After cooking, the potatoes and kohlrabi are simply mashed together. Carrots can also be mixed well into the puree.
- Potato and vegetable casserole: In the casserole can be processed, for example, broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini.
- Asparagus with potatoes: A healthy alternative to the popular Hollandaise sauce is, for example, a wild garlic pesto, which goes particularly well with green asparagus.
- Potato-cucumber salad: The salad is a summer refreshing side dish, for example, at the barbecue.
- Potato-pumpkin soup: The autumnal soup can be prepared, for example, potatoes and Hokkaido pumpkin.
As the recipe ideas show, potatoes offer many ways to eat varied and healthy – there are no limits to your imagination.
