Eating healthily with potatoes: tips from the nutrition expert

Fried, boiled or fried: every German eats around 60 kilograms of potatoes per year on average. The tuber struggles with the stigma of being fattening “The potato itself is decried because the grandmother always said: Child – don’t eat so many potatoes because they make you fat. But that’s not the case at all, because one potato has less calories than, for example, a banana,” says nutritionist Carl Meißner, who works at the Magdeburg Clinic.

It’s less important how much you eat than how the potato ends up on your plate. “The method of preparation is important. If I process it further into chips or fries, then it has rather bad properties for our health. But if I cook it gently, I have a good health effect for myself,” explains Meißner.

100 grams of cooked potatoes only have 70 calories and are full of healthy ingredients. “The potato is also called the lemon of the north because the potato is a real vitamin bomb. It is rich in vitamin C, has a lot of potassium and lots of anti-oxidants that offer our body protective effects. We should cook them with the peel on, so that “All ingredients really stay in the potato,” explains the nutritionist.

Compared to other foods such as white bread, pasta, fruit or fish, boiled potatoes are the undisputed front runner among the satiating foods. And if you’re full, you don’t have to stuff anything back into yourself so quickly. “Due to its volume, it leads to a real stretching of the stomach. There is a feedback to the brain with the message: ‘We are full!’ explains Meißner.

The doctor mentions another advantage: the healthy tuber has a low glycemic index, which means that there are only minor fluctuations in blood sugar after consumption. “There are no cravings, but rather a pleasant feeling of satiety,” he emphasizes.

Potatoes should definitely be cooked so that the starch they contain can be digested. Only when cooked do the starch grains swell, become soluble and can be absorbed by the body.

By the way, boiled cold potatoes like in salad are even healthier than those served warm. The starch is then digested in the large intestine and broken down into butyric acid, among other things. This promotes healthy intestinal flora and counteracts inflammation.

Ingredients:

• 500g potatoes
• 2 shallots
• 1 bunch of parsley
• 3 boiled eggs
• 1 bunch of radishes
• ½ cucumber
• 10-12 small, pickled cucumbers.

Vinaigrette:

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper.

Preparation:

• Boil the potatoes, then peel and slice them.
• Peel and quarter eggs.
• Cut radishes, shallots, cucumbers and pickles into small pieces or slices.
• Finely chop the parsley.
• Place all ingredients in a large bowl, stir.
• Vinaigrette sauce: Stir oil, vinegar and mustard together and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the vinaigrette just before eating!