Potato Cooking Tips

HEALTHY COOKING TIPS FOR POTATOES

Potatoes are favorite of all and is one of the best blender and easy to cook vegetable. You can do a lot of things with potatoes like frying, mashing or boiling. Potatoes are nutritious vegetables that provide vitamin C, fiber and some B vitamins. You’ll find numerous types of this vegetable in the grocery store. Idaho, baking and red potatoes are the most popular. Here’s a quick guide for cooking  healthy dishes using fresh potatoes.

Buying and Storing Potatoes

• Choose potatoes that are free of sprouts, green skin, or spots because the green potatoes may contain a substance called solanine, which can have a bitter flavor and can be toxic.
• Don't buy potatoes that are soft or have excessive cuts, cracks, bruises or discoloration and decay. 
• The best way to tell truly new potatoes is to rub the skin with your thumb -- it should be delicate enough to scrape clean.
• To store potatoes, remove potatoes out of the plastic bags and keep in a cool dark well ventilated place.
• Do not refrigerate as at cold temperatures, the starches in the potatoes are converted to sugars, which causes the flesh to darken, creating an "off" flavour when the potato is cooked, especially when deep fried.

Healthy Cooking Methods for Potatoes

• Baking Potatoes- If you cannot forego potatoes, then here is a way. Baking potatoes is the best way as it doesn't require butter or oil for baking. Wrapping it in a foil and baking with potato skin will retain all the necessary vitamins like vitamin C
• Grilling Potatoes- While grilling potatoes, wrapping with aluminium foil and then placing on grill will not only ease the cooking process but also avoid s adding oil or other fat for baking. It is best to eat grilled potatoes without or with very little salt.
• Sauteed Potatoes- This simple way of cooking potatoes is a great breakfast idea. Instead of having processed hash brown potatoes, make your own healthy home fries. All you need are small red potatoes, red and green bell pepper and onions. Dice all of the vegetables into small bite-sized pieces. Oil your skillet with extra virgin olive oil. Add the vegetables to the skillet and stir until tender. You can also add garlic to the dish.
• Cooking with other vegetables- Cooking the potatoes with other vegetables like garlic or onion is good. Garlic helps in digestion and fights cancer so mashing the potatoes with the cooked garlic or onion pods is the best way to eat.
• Boiling Potatoes- Boiling is another safest way to eat potatoes. Boil the cut potatoes with skin and with natural herbs like oregano, ginger or mint is proved beneficiary for the body. The natural benefits of the herbs is absorbed by the boiled potatoes and is nutrient rich to eat.

Healthy Cooking Tips for Potatoes

• Soak Raw Potatoes in Tap Water to Remove Starch- You can reduce the starch content of raw potatoes by soaking them for 30 minutes before you prepare them.
• Leave the Potato Skins On Whenever You Can-  It's a good idea to leave the skins on potatoes whenever you can. They are a great source of fiber.
• Fry Potatoes in Heart-Healthy Oils- Another way how to prepare healthier potatoes is, fry them using healthy oils like olive or canola. Avoid using saturated fats like margarine and vegetable shortening that raise your blood cholesterol.
• Avoid Dicing and Cooking Potatoes- Dicing potatoes, then cooking them, removes the largest amounts of minerals. A way to avoid this is, boil whole potatoes. Then, if you want to dice them, cut them up after they're cooked and drained.
• Choose Low-Fat, Sodium and low Calorie Toppings- Make your baked or roasted potatoes healthier by topping them with low-fat sour cream, cottage cheese, and other cheeses. You can even use low-fat yogurt. Instead of seasoning potatoes with salt- pepper is healthy- use chives, herbs, or natural products
• Lower the Calories and Fat in Homemade Mashed Potatoes- You can prepare healthier mashed potatoes by simply skipping the margarine and the milk. Stir in low sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead! Not only does it reduce the calories and fat, but it adds a mild flavor to your potatoes as well!