Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are not a worthless addition to cutlets, which can easily fill the stomach. Potatoes are not very caloric and contain starch, vitamin C, potassium and calcium. The most important thing is how we prepare potatoes and what we serve them with.

Contrary to popular belief,potatoesdo not fatten - 100 g (two medium-sized tubers) contain 60-70 kcal, which is less than bananas. Much more caloric is what we eatpotatoes . Often next to them on our plate is a breaded pork chop or a fatty, flour-seasoned sauce. It was these additives that spoiled the reputation of the potato - and it is neither very caloric nor hard to digest.

Potatoes - properties

Potato tubers are a valuable source of starch. It is a complex carbohydrate that is slowly and evenly broken down into glucose in the human body, which is the fuel needed for the work of all its cells. Thanks to this, we have a source of energy and we feel full for a long time.

Potatoes also contain a lot of vitamin C - about 16 mg in 100 g (the daily requirement of an adult is 75 mg). The most of it is in the tubers right after the excavation. But the longer they are stored, the greater the loss of this valuable he alth substance. Old potatoes eaten in early spring are of almost no value in this respect.

Potatoes also contain vitamins A, E, B1(thiamine), B2(riboflavin), B3(niacin) and B6(pyridoxine). Potatoes contain large amounts of potassium, which lowers blood pressure, strengthens bones, and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, magnesium, as well as phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Potatoes are also a source of valuable plant protein.

Potatoes - calories, nutritional values ​​

Nutritional value of boiled potatoes, no peel, no s alt added

in 100 gin 85 g (with one medium potato)
Energy value86 kcal73 kcal
Protein1.71 g1.45 g
Carbohydrates20.01 g17 g
Simple sugars0.89 g0.75 g
Fat0.10g0.08 g
fiber1.8 g1.53 g

Source: USDA

Potatoes - vitamins and minerals

Vitamins and minerals of boiled potatoes, without the skin, no s alt added (per 100 g)

Vitamin C7.4 mg
Vitamin B10.098 mg
Vitamin B20.019 mg
Vitamin B31,312 mg
Vitamin B60.269 mg
Foliates9 mg
Vitamin A2 IU
Vitamin E0.01 mg
Vitamin K2.2 µg
Calcium8 mg
Iron0.31 mg
Magnesium20 mg
Phosphorus40 mg
Potassium328 mg
Sodium5 mg
Zinc0.27 mg

Source: USDA

Important

Scientists from the Institute in Seibersdorf have grown potatoes with several times higher content of vitamin A. It is precisely its deficiency that very often causes blindness. The new variety of potatoes will be especially useful for millions of children in Africa who go blind every year because of the lack of this substance.

Potatoes - eat well

Potatoes for heart and stomach

Due to the potassium content, potatoes are recommended for people with arterial hypertension. People with high blood pressure should also eat them because potatoes have very little sodium (as long as you don't s alt them at all or add a little s alt at the end of cooking). In addition, scientists at the British Food Research Institute in Norwich recently discovered that potatoes contain cucoamines - compounds that lower blood pressure.

They also found that boiled potatoes have much more kukoamines than fried potatoes. Potatoes are also good for people with diabetes. The starch contained in these vegetables is absorbed gradually, so it can be used well, despite the limited possibilities of insulin production by the patient's pancreas.

Boiled potatoes are easy to digest and can be a valuable dish for children. They are also recommended for people who have problems with the digestive system, e.g. after poisoning. Thanks to large amounts of fiber, they help with constipation, digestive problems and diarrhea. They also bring relief to heartburn sufferers - as long as you don't fry them in fat, of course.

Potatoes - not for everyone

Eating potatoes frequently can be harmful,for example, people with kidney failure who have excess potassium in their blood. However, you can get rid of this element: you need to boil the potatoes, pour out the water, then pour fresh and cook until soft. On the other hand, potatoes should be avoided by people suffering from rheumatism, because they often cause pain and stiffness in the joints.

Which potatoes are the best

All potato varieties contain a similar amount of nutrients. Some housewives prefer potatoes with yellowish flesh, others completely white. But it is not the color that should decide the choice of species. First of all, the firmness of the flesh must be taken into account. For salads and casseroles, we should choose potatoes that do not crumble when cooked. These are, for example, a lotus, rue, mallow, necklace, falcon. For pancakes, dumplings and dumplings, flour potatoes with dry and loose after cooking flesh will be the best. Such properties have beryllium, mile, arcadia, cotoneaster. For baking, cooking and soups, we can buy general purpose potatoes, i.e. potatoes suitable for everything - drops, irises, eagles.

How to make potatoes

Peel the new potatoes as thinly as possible. However, we should act differently in the case of old potatoes, which are starting to sprout. Their skin turns green. The reason is solanine, which is formed in potatoes that are stored for a long time. For example, it can irritate the stomach and cause headaches. Therefore, the green spots and the eyes left by the sprouts must be carefully cut out.

Potatoes when steamed or using a pressure cooker lose the least amount of vitamin C. It's also a good idea to throw them into boiling water, boil them in a jacket or bake them.

The method of cutting the tubers is of great importance - the larger the surface is exposed to temperature, i.e. the smaller the pieces, the more vitamins will be destroyed. We should also remember to peel the vegetables just before cooking. If kept in water for long periods, they become almost worthless.

Note! The way potatoes are prepared depends on their glycemic index (the degree to which they raise blood sugar), which is especially important for diabetics. The lowest GI, i.e. the most beneficial for diabetics, is boiled potatoes, a little higher - steamed, and the highest - baked.

Finally, a word about french fries and crisps. Better to avoid them. First, they are very caloric. 100 g of French fries is about 300 kcal, crisps - 537 kcal. Secondly, fries (those bought at a bar) and crisps are fried on the fat that is used several times, in which acrylamide is produced, a substance suspected of being carcinogenic.

You must do it
  • If you want to check ifthe potatoes you bought have not been overfertilised, leave them aside for a while after cooking. If they retain their original pore, you can eat them with confidence. If, on the other hand, they darken, do not buy them anymore. You can also judge by the appearance of the tubers if the soil has not been over fertilized during the cultivation of the potatoes. Avoid potatoes that are very varied in shape, size, and color, and that have a rough skin.
  • To give the potatoes a more original flavor, add a clove of garlic and a bay leaf to the water in which they are cooking.
  • When you want to know what the potatoes are best for, cut one in half and rub the halves together for a while. If water is formed, the potatoes are hard and will not spill when cooked. They can be used as a soup or served whole. If, on the other hand, the halves are sticking together, the potatoes are floury. They will turn out to be good dumplings and purée.

History of potatoes: from imperial gardens under thatched roofs

Potatoes belong to the nightshade family like tomatoes and peppers. Their homeland is South America. They were brought to Europe in the 16th century. Initially, they were treated as an ornamental plant, and flowering twigs of potatoes were pinned by the ladies in their hair. They were grown in the gardens of the kings of France and England. Emperor Leopold I himself boasted about them. It was he who donated the plant seedlings to Jan III Sobieski. But potatoes made a real career in Poland only during the reign of Augustus II. And at the beginning of the 19th century, they saved the poorest part of Europe's population from famine.

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