It is undoubtedly practical, because it can be kept for a long time and is immediately ready. But the mashed potato in the bag can really represent one good alternative to homemade one at the moment? We answer these and other questions with the doctor's advice Federica Piccolino, a nutrition biologist in Rome.
Beware of additives
"In addition to the fact that potato flour, due to the long processing processes, has lost most of the original properties of the tuber, many preparations for puree on the market are nutritionally invalid, because contain additives of various kinds»Warns the expert. “For example preservatives like sodium metabisulphite, sometimes indicated with the initials E223, or stabilizers such as disodium diphosphate, also known as E450, which serve to extend the life of the food. The latter is also used in processed cheeses, canned meats and spoon dessert preparations but, if taken in high doses, can cause digestive disorders and even malabsorption of some nutrients».
Nothing to do, therefore, with the homemade puree based on fresh potatoes, milk, grated cheese and possibly eggs and a few flakes of butter.
Also at risk for the balance
Also, the comparison with the home version does not even hold up on the caloric front. At the same weight, the puree in a bag has many more calories: 340 per 100 g of product against 120 for home-made ones.
The reason? "Almost always among the ingredients there are many lipids, moreover of low quality, such as mono and diglycerides of fatty acids, used to give the product its creaminess»Explains Federica Piccolino.
What to watch on the label
Despite the many nutritional flaws, the puree in the bag however, it is not entirely to be banned.
"Could be consumed occasionally within a healthy diet. The advice is to always carefully check the label and choose products with the shortest ingredient list. The best ones contain only potato flakes from certified origin and natural aromas such as rosemary », concludes the expert.
