Not just kids, potatoes are loved by adults as well. It is the favorite vegetable for most people across the world. It is really hard to find a person who doesn’t like potato chips, french fries, potato roast, and you name it. Potatoes are a mandatory vegetable for many North Indians, they cannot ignore it for many of their popular recipes. This level of dependency over potatoes is not just confined to North India, it is the case with most countries in the world.
Potatoes are first discovered by Spanish soldiers when they conquered Peru in the year 1536. It was then later taken to Europe. Slowly it started to become popular across the world.
Potatoes rank 4th among the widely cultivated food item in the world after rice, wheat, and corn. In this article, we will look into benefits of eating potatoes, and also the ill effects attached to it.
What are the real contents of Potatoes?
Potato is a healthy food. It contains carbohydrate, starch, vitamin-C, vitamin-B6, vitamin-A, potassium, manganese, phosphorus, folic acid, calcium, phytochemical, copper, and niacin.
What are the goodness in Potato?
- It is rich in fiber, so it prevents constipation.
- Potatoes are rich in antioxidants, this helps in increasing immunity.
- It prevents heart attack.
- Starch present in it supplies us with needed energy.
- Vitamin-B6 present in it good for our mental health.
- Vitamin-C improves immunity and maintains our skin in healthy condition.
- It increases the level of good bacterias in intestines.
- Potato extract is used as a medicine for people with stomach disorders and ulcers.
How to Eat it?
One of the main reasons we intake vegetables is because of its fiber content. So we need to consume potatoes with its outer skin. When we remove the outer skin of potatoes while cooking it, we are trashing its fiber content completely. Additionally, we will only consume its carbohydrate content.
So, if you are consuming peeled off potatoes, you need to consume other vegetables along with it.
You can roast the boiled potatoes in minimum oil and medium flame and consume it to fetch maximum nutrients out of it. Remember, you should not peel its outer skin in the process.
How not to Eat?
Potatoes that are cooked in high flame, deep fried, and roasted in oil at very high temperature are not good for our health. Doing so will make it release a toxic substance known as Acrylamides. Acrylamides is identified as a carcinogen. Additionally, it also releases another toxic substance called Glycoalkaloids. When we consume potatoes that contain this toxic chemical, it can lead to neurological problems, vomit, diarrhea, and low blood pressure.
Who really needs Potatoes?
Kids, sports person, and pregnant women would need foods rich in calories and nutrients. So these people can consume potatoes without any problem.
Who needs to avoid Potatoes?
Glycemic index of potato is really high. So diabetes patients must avoid it. But, if they have low levels of glycemic in their bodies, they can consume it nominal quantity. People with gas troubles, piles, kidney conditions must avoid eating potatoes.
Over weight people should not eat it regularly. But they can occasionally.
How to eat?
- Substitute a cup of rice with a cup of boiled potato and consume it by slightly roasting it in a little oil. Include a little of lemon extract along with it. Potato should be cooked along with tomato and onion.
- Avoid eating potato along with crepes, chapatti, and poori.
- Do not eat pressure cooked potatoes.
- Boil it in an open vessel and consume it by roasting it a little.
How to feed potatoes to kids?
Babies who are six months old can be fed with mashed potatoes. It is one of the best foods for babies as it is rich in nutrients over other vegetables. Additionally, mashed potatoes can be easily fed to kids over other vegetables.
Benefits to Kids and Babies on Eating Potatoes
- Carbohydrate is very vital for growing kids. Potatoes are rich in carbohydrates. Additionally, it is easily digestible.
- It increases the sugar or glucose levels in kids.
- It improves metabolism.
- Fibre content in potato skin prevents constipation.
- It increases white blood cells and improves immunity in kids.
- Potato makes the babies feel full, so they will not cry in sleep.
- 100 grams of potato contains 26 milligrams of Vitamin-C. A kid or baby needs 40 milligrams of vitamin-C a day. So it fulfills more than half the level of needed Vitamin-C.
Other benefits of Potatoes
- Apart from being a nutrient rich food, potatoes are widely used as a medicine for many diseases.
- Washing off the face with potato extract will make our face to glow.
- Potato extract is an excellent medicine for wrinkles.
- People who suffer from throat infection can cut potatoes into small pieces, collect it on a clean cloth and place it over their throat from time to time. This will help to relieve from throat infection faster.
- Potatoes have become an irreplaceable vegetable worldwide. Knowing how to eat it, and how not to eat it will help you to fetch maximum benefits out of it.
- It is one of the most common foods for all soldiers across the world is an interesting fact.
What to avoid?
- Sprouted potatoes should be avoided at all costs. They will have high toxic content. This toxic content will get mixed with starch and increases the sugar levels in it.
- Green colored potatoes should be avoided. It has high levels of toxins.
- Packaged potato foods, chips, and french fries must be avoided. These foods are mostly prepared at high temperature so it more harmful.
How to store potatoes?
- It should be stored in cold and airy place.
- It should not be kept in plastic containers or covers.
- It can be kept inside a paper bag.
- Avoid storing it in a refrigerator, as the cold temperature inside it will increase its starch content.