Truth About Potatoes !!

Potatoes. Naah!!!!, it’s fattening and I am on diet. I really miss them but cannot have them. Let me first reduce weight and then I’ll relish the potato platter.”…

Do we all think the same way?????

So, what do you think? Is potato too bad & we cannot have it till we are on the mission of weight reduction or maintaining our weight?

No, it’s not true…Even, potatoes are as healthy as carrot, dudhi, tomatoes…etc. It all depends on, how we cook and make use of them in our food.

On the contrary, Potato is a universally accepted vegetable which is been liked by all, from children’s to adult. Potatoes are available round the year. They are known for the rich source of carbohydrates and energy, but have we ever given a thought to this nature’s product which actually has many benefits. Yes, you’ve read right. Potatoes are beneficial in much more ways than we think off. Perhaps no menu is complete without incorporating potatoes! Be it chips, fries, vegetables, snacks, cutlet or any other cuisines; potatoes do find their place in every other recipe. In fact, everybody likes the taste of potatoes. If you love to crunch this tuber, then here are some extra reasons to relish potatoes even more.

1. Potatoes are rich source of vitamin C but to get maximum nutritive value bake the potato rather than boil it, as vitamin C leach in the water.

2. Potato is the most efficient food for energy production. The energy produced through potato gets stored as glycogen in muscle and liver. It functions as a readily available energy during prolonged, strenuous exercise. That’s why; it is an important part of players’ diet. Its low in sodium, fat & easy to digest

3. Potatoes are beneficial in curing stomach ulcers & even help in curing inflammation of colon.

4. Potatoes are also beneficial in hemorrhoid due to their high fiber content. It contains half soluble fiber and half insoluble fiber which help the body to remain satiety for longer period.

5. The juice of raw potato’s, has proved to be beneficial for clearing skin blemishes.

6. A 100gm baked potato roughly provide the 20 percent of daily recommended amount of vitamin B6 which helps to make neurotransmitter-substances that deliver from one cell to another cell and keeps the nervous system healthy and balances the mood

Nutrient content of potato

Problem arises when these vegetable is loaded with high calories like vegetable oil, sour cream, mayonnaise etc. Many times even baked potatoes are loaded with any of these calories. These fatty foods increase the overall calorie value and due which the nutritional value of fats, carbohydrate increases. Again the digestion and absorption of the prepared dish will be more on fats conversion due to sedentary lifestyle.

This are the few petit issues which makes everyone think that potatoes are fill with high calories and hence it is taken out from their menu. Rather, cook the potatoes in healthy way like parboil/ baked/steamed potatoes with bean as a topping, vegetables stir fry, cutlet adding skim milk paneer etc Adding some protein such as Rajmah, chick pea, desi chana, tuna, sprout etc makes healthy salad, which will help carbohydrate to break down slowly and feel fuller and energized for longer period. The potato can be as fruitful as apple. A person doesn’t gain his weight by only eating one thing but because of overall calorie intake…

Do remember, to reduce weight/gain weight there as to be the combination of exercise and healthy food pattern; wake up and get warm up with any one of the physical activity and try to maintain your daily calorie intake…