Pity the poor potato. The humble spud has been hit right between the eyes by nutrition myths calling them out for being fattening and devoid of health benefits. Nothing could be further from the truth. So before you malign another mashed potato, let’s dig up some food facts and recent research.
A medium-size potato contains around 100 calories, for which you get 45 percent of a day’s recommended vitamin C and 6 percent of the protein. Potatoes pack an impressive roster of other nutrients too including potassium, vitamin B6, iodine, the B vitamin niacin, iron and copper. Potatoes are fat free, sodium free and cholesterol free before you fry them or start adding the sour cream, butter, bacon and shredded cheese. Try topping potatoes with Greek yogurt which is a good source of protein and calcium or with salsa, which is very low in calories and adds even more plant-powered nutrients.
Potassium power
Calorie for calorie, potatoes deliver nearly twice the potassium as bananas. The mineral potassium, important for heart health including blood pressure control, is considered a shortfall nutrient by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because surveys show 97 percent of Americans do not consume enough. So, since white potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables on the menu for kids and adults, it’s good to know they can help fill in the potassium gap.
In a first of its kind study, nutrition researchers Connie Weaver, Ph.D., and her team at Purdue University, compared potassium from white potatoes and potassium supplements in healthy adults and found that the bioavailability of potassium from Mother Nature’s potatoes is far better than a pill.
Spud fiber inside too
Nutrition research also shows that potatoes, with or without the skin, are a good source of dietary fiber. A small potato contains about 2 grams of fiber and that’s no small potatoes. Maureen Storey, Ph.D., president of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education said, “The nutrient beauty of the white potato is not just skin deep. The flesh is a significant source of key vitamins and minerals.” That includes French fries, too.
While sweet potatoes and other orange-colored vegetables are a better source of beta-carotene, the precursor to vitamin A in the body, there’s a bountiful crop of evidence showing that white potatoes are a nutrient-rich vegetable that can play an important and palate-pleasing part of a healthy diet.
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