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No matter how you cook potatoes, they’re going to be delicious. But if you want to get the most out of these vitamin- and mineral-packed spuds, you may want to opt for some cooking methods over others, dietitians say
Particularly if these vegetables are a frequent part of your diet, you’ll want the details on the healthier potato dishes
Expert Tip of the Day: This Is the Healthiest Way to Cook Potatoes
All types of potatoes offer healthy vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. So it’s really your cooking method that affects the nutrient profile of these tubers more than the variety of potato
While there’s nothing wrong with having some French fries here and there, you should generally opt for cooking methods that use less oil, says Natalie Rizzo, registered dietitian and TODAY nutrition editor
That includes cooking methods such as baking, roasting and steaming. And, if you include the skin, that adds even more nutrients
Why it Matters
Potatoes are healthy vegetables. White potatoesare packed with potassium and vitamin C; orange sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene; and Japanese sweet potatoes (with purple skin) are rich in vitamins C and E
Even in the form of French fries or potato chips, potatoes are still a vegetable. But frying them to create those dishes adds extra calories, fat and other compounds that negatively affect your health. This can outweigh the health benefits found in a potato in its more natural form
“You don’t want to overdo it with (adding fat during the cooking process),” Rizzo explained previously, “because that takes a potato from a healthy vegetable side dish to something that’s really high in calories and saturated fat.”
And don’t forget to eat the skin! Much of the fiber in the potato, which supports gut and heart health, is in the skin
How to Get Started
The healthiest ways to cook potatoes include baking, boiling, steaming and roasting because these require less added fat than frying
If you do add fat, opt for olive oil or canola oil, which are among the healthiest cooking oils
If you’re not sure where to start, try these recipes:
- Air-Fryer Baked Potato
- Steamed Purple Sweet Potatoes
- Roast Sweet Potatoes with Feta, Almonds & Pomegranate
When a recipe allows for it, keep the skin on your potatoes. That way you can get all the nutrients your spud has to offer
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Dayseries is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more
