If Clay was stranded on an island and could only eat one type of food forever it would be potatoes, in all of the many forms that they come in. Therefore this post is titled “Mr. Potato Head" because in our home we eat potatoes like the possibility of them going extinct exists. Lucky for us potatoes, in a raw home cooked form can be healthy and delicious! Notice that I added the phrase “raw home cooked” this is intentional. When I am talking about eating potatoes I am talking about the incredible versatile root vegetable that can be peel, sliced, diced, and cooked an abundance of different ways. I am not talking about the cardboard, processed, deep fried, $1 Mickie D’s fries or the “potato” chips found in the grocery store.

Potatoes are one of the more controversial vegetables out there. They do contain a high starch content, which people argue should be consumed only in moderation. I say to hell with that, everything should be consumed in moderation anyway! What people don’t seem to mention about potatoes is how many nutrients they contain. Potatoes vary in nutrients based on the specific type of potato and the way that you prepare it.

The type of potato you use matters. For example, red potatoes are lower in calories, carbs, and fiber but they contain more vitamin K and niacin. Whereas Russet potatoes are higher in calories, carbs, and fiber, but aren’t as nutrient dense. So lets say you just had your long run day, maybe you roast a Russet potato to replenish some of the carbohydrates you utilized while exercising.

How you prepare the type of potato you select matters. The outer skin of the potato contains a significant amount of the potatoes overall fiber and mineral count. Therefore if you peel your potatoes you lose out on the extra nutrients. Now if you fry the potatoes you drastically increase the fat and calorie content. This method strips this vegetable of many nutritious benefits as compared to boiling or baking the potato. In general baking, boiling, and steaming potatoes are the best methods to use when cooking potatoes.

Clay and I have a go-to way of preparing potatoes. We like to cut our potatoes in small cubes and bake them in the oven. This is a great addition to the many bowls that we eat. They are super easy to make, don’t require a lot of time, and they add such a great bite to any meal. Here is our go-to recipe pictured above.

Easy Oven Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

1 potato of your choice
1 Tbsp avocado oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut potatoes into quarter sized cubes.
Toss the potatoes in avocado oil and salt in a bowl.
Put them on the lined baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes. Flipping the potatoes halfway through the bake.

References

Contributor, J. (2020). Potatoes: Health Benefits, Risks & Nutrition Facts. [online] livescience.com. Available at: https://www.livescience.com/45838-potato-nutrition.html [Accessed 1 Jan. 2020].

Medical News Today. (2020). Potatoes: Health benefits, nutrients, recipe tips, and risks. [online] Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280579.php [Accessed 1 Jan. 2020].