Potato the Dreaded Vegetable,is it really so??
The first vegetable people will always love to hate is “POTATO.” They can neither avoid it totally nor can eat it with peace of mind and enjoy. Potatoes sometimes get a bad rap for being a white starch, thrown into the same category as white rice or white bread. Keeping this in mind many people try to avoid eating it and cooking it for kids too. But the point is, unlike those other starches, which have indeed been stripped of healthful nutrients, potatoes are a whole food that contain several beneficial nutrients. They are an excellent source of two immunity boosters—vitamins C and B6, delivering 25% and 29% of your daily needs per medium potato, respectively. They are also a good source of foliate, which is especially important for women of childbearing age, and they deliver fiber (4 grams in a medium potato; women need 25 grams daily and men need 38 grams).
To be precise One medium-size potato has just 110 calories and is absolutely fat-, sodium and cholesterol free, making them downright undeniable for any diet. (run to get some now..wait wait read the remaining and go J)The power of the potato doesn’t stop there. Whether yellow, purple or red, potato nutrition is good for you!
One medium potato with skin provides 620 milligrams or 18% of the recommended daily value (DV) per serving. Potatoes rank highest for potassium content among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables and fruits. Potassium is a mineral that is part of every body cell. It helps regulate fluids and mineral balance in and out of cells and in doing so, helps maintain normal blood pressure. Potassium is also vital for transmitting nerve impulses or signals, and in helping muscles contract.
Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C (45% of the DV), which is more vitamin C than one medium tomato (40% DV) or sweet potato (30% DV). Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant stabilizing free radicals, thus helping prevent cellular damage. It aids in collagen production; assists with iron absorption; and helps heal wounds and keep your gums healthy. Vitamin C may help support the body’s immune system.
One medium potato provides 6% of the recommended daily value of iron.
Iron is a major component of hemoglobin that carries oxygen to all parts of the body. Iron also has a critical role within cells assisting in oxygen utilization, enzymatic systems, especially for neural development, and overall cell function everywhere in the body. Thus, iron deficiency affects all body functions, not only through anemia, which appears late in the process of tissue iron deficits.
So now that you know it’s too good eat potato .let me tell you a point of caution. Its not the potato that is fattening or unhealthy, it’s the way its cooked. So what ever way u want eat potato, make it in a really healthy way..then, in such scenario for many people Potato will never be a “forbidden fruit” J Happy potatoing !!
--Pushpa
