Mashed potatoes can be a part of a healthy diet. Here's how. (2024)

FAQs

Mashed potatoes can be a part of a healthy diet. Here's how.? ›

Potatoes are also a rich source of potassium — an essential mineral that is important for the functioning of cells and for our heart, muscles and nerves—and fiber, which helps with digestion. According to UC Davis Health, they also are a source of the antioxidant vitamin C.

Wealth of micronutrients. In addition to carbohydrates — a needed energy source for your body and brain — potatoes contain a wealth of micronutrients. They're a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. As a bonus, potatoes are low in calories, contain no fat or cholesterol, and are sodium-free.

Potatoes were a life-saving food source in early times because the vitamin C prevented scurvy. Another major nutrient in potatoes is potassium, an electrolyte which aids in the workings of our heart, muscles, and nervous system. Potato skin contains fiber, which is important for digestive health.

Potatoes are a decent source of fiber, which can help you feel full longer. Fiber also can help prevent heart disease by keeping your cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also rich in antioxidants that prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly.

Overall, potatoes contain more vitamins and nutrients than rice. And if given the choice between rice or potatoes, 9 times out of 10, we would certainly go with potatoes simply because they are more versatile and can be made in many different ways.

A lot of the healthfulness of potatoes comes down to how they're prepared, and when they aren't deep-fried in fatty oils or smothered in dense dairy spreads, white potatoes are a high-quality source of key nutrients and antioxidants.

Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods. This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.

All potatoes can fit into a healthy diet, but purple potatoes, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes—which are often grouped with potatoes—stand out due to their high amounts of protective plant compounds and essential nutrients.

Eating one medium-size potato a day can be part of a healthy diet and doesn't increase cardiometabolic risk — the chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke — as long as the potato is steamed or baked, and prepared without adding too much salt or saturated fat, a study by nutritionists at The Pennsylvania ...

Even though potatoes contain high fibre content and some essential nutrients, eating them alone will be highly damaging and result in serious health repercussions. The lack of specific vitamins and minerals in just eating potatoes will lead to pernicious anaemia and even irreversible damage.

Are boxed mashed potatoes healthy? ›

They're surprisingly healthy.

The calories ranged from 80 to 180 per serving, while fat content averaged around 6 grams per serving and sodium content ranged from 35 mg per serving to 470 mg.

Sweet potato and swede mash

With a lower GI than potatoes, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A — an antioxidant that supports healthy skin, immune health and vision.

Cook potatoes by boiling, steaming or microwaving them without adding other ingredients. Preparing potatoes in this manner will ensure that they are very low in salt, sugar and fat. 3. Another method of cooking potato the healthy way is to cook it with its skin this provides fiber to the body.

But a growing body of research suggests that potatoes can play a critical role in weight loss. And some folks swear by a 3 to 5-day potato diet that can burn fat fast — no counting carbs or calories required! That's right, many nutrition experts are now defending potatoes.

Research demonstrates that people can eat potatoes and still lose weight. FACTS There is no evidence that potatoes, when prepared in a healthful manner, impede weight loss. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition demonstrates that people can eat potatoes and still lose weight¹.

“If someone wants to eat the mashed potatoes, eat the mashed potatoes,” she says. But she also suggests adding vegetables and lean proteins to your plate. Together, these foods will keep you full longer and help you manage your energy levels so that you can walk away from the meal feeling good.

They're also chock full of starch, which is a carbohydrate. But even though a potato is considered a complex “healthy” carb, your body digests these carbs faster than other kinds of complex carbs. These broken-down carbs flood your blood with sugar.

Yet not all carbs are created equal. What was most unexpected about the results, is that even french fries cooked in oil came out higher in the carbohydrate health hierarchy than pasta and rice. Mashed potatoes were the real winner, with children consuming 30-40 per cent fewer calories at meals.