THE HUMBLE POTATO

YOU’VE HEARD IT BEFORE, THE OBSESSION SOME HAVE TODAY WITH CUTTING CARBS AT ALL COSTS IN ORDER TO LOSE POUNDS OR INCHES AROUND THE WAISTLINE, AND THE HUMBLE SPUD IS GENERALLY FIRST TO GET THE BOOT.

Studies have shown that the humble potato, rather than being a carbohydrate packed food to be avoided, might actually be a food to be wholly embraced as a way of reducing, or maintaining a healthy weight. The secret power of the potato is in its enormous ability to satiate one’s hunger. The potato tops the chart of the most satiating foods; i.e. foods that keep us fuller for longer. Why is this important? The theory is that if we focus on eating foods that fill our stomach, and take a longer time to digest, then there will be a longer period between our sensations of hunger. For example, potatoes have around 600% of the satiety of croissants or in other words, you would need to eat 6 times the amount of calories in croissants to feel as full as if you just ate boiled potatoes. »

Potatoes also provide a range of other health benefits over and above their ability to keep you full; they are surprisingly high in certain essential nutrients like vitamin C and compounds like flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids which act as antioxidants within the body. These have been shown to offer a variety of valuable health benefits, including improved blood sugar control, reduced heart disease risk and higher immunity. Potatoes are also readily commercially available in a number of varieties, are extremely versatile and can be cooked in an almost limitless variety of ways. A note of caution however, the amount and type of additions you make to your cooked potatoes can have an effect on both the satiety and caloric content of your final meal. Adding too much sour cream, butter or other fats to your potato can decrease the overall effectiveness of your meal as a weight loss tool. Don’t be frightened of incorporating any number of other vegetables or herbs and spices however, and for a balanced approach, try to increase the proportion of foods within each meal that are high in fibre, nutritional value and satiety. Potatoes tick all the right boxes and should be considered as a worthy inclusion in any healthy eating plan.

Content sourced from information freely available on the web, statistical data source - https://tinyurl.com/3sp5y3wt