I don’t think anyone has to ask what to do with potatoes. Bake, boil, mash or fry, a potato can be delicious – even if you spell it with the extra “e.” Potatoes are the highest consumed vegetable in the U.S., only behind corn.
You know, it seems potatoes got a bad rap from fad diets like the Atkins diet, which encouraged dieters to abandon carbohydrates. But did you know that a medium sized potato has only 110 calories and has NO fat, sodium or cholesterol?? They are also a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and iron!
- The potassium can help lower blood pressure. (Most Americans don’t get enough)
- Vitamin C is an antioxidant that aides in collagen production; assists with iron absorption; and helps heal wounds and keep your gums healthy. Vitamin C may help support the body’s immune system.
- Soluble fiber may help with weight loss as it makes you feel full longer, and research has shown it also may help lower blood cholesterol.
- Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that plays important roles in carbohydrate and protein metabolism. It helps the body make nonessential amino acids needed to make various body proteins; it is a cofactor for several co-enzymes involved in energy metabolism; and is required for the synthesis of hemoglobin – an essential component of red blood cells.
- Iron is a major component of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Iron also has a critical role within cells assisting in oxygen utilization, enzymatic systems, especially for neural development, and overall cell function everywhere in the body.
So you just can’t go wrong with a potato!