Le potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are tubers originating from South America and widespread today all over the world. There are several varieties, similar in taste and nutritional values, but a particular case is that of sweet potatoes, also known as American potatoes. Although they have a sweeter taste, their glycemic index is lower than traditional potatoes, as they are richer in fiber.
- Properties and benefits some potatoes
- Calories and nutritional values ​​of potatoes
- Potatoes, allies of
- Curiosities about potatoes
- A recipe up your sleeve
Good, cheap, versatile, but also rich in properties and nutrients! Potatoes are an excellent food, suitable for everyone and too often demonized for theirs energy and carbohydrate power.
Instead, they can be an excellent alternative to pasta or bread, if cooked healthily and combined with the right foods. For example, associating potatoes with a source of protein, a source of fat and fiber, significantly lowers their glycemic index.
Furthermore, they can be kept for a long time, even for several months if placed in the dark and at a temperature between 4 ° and 10 ° but without placing them in the refrigerator.
Properties and benefits some potatoes
Often we think of potatoes only as a source of carbohydrates and sugars, but, instead, inside these precious tubers they hide numerous nutrients and properties. Let's see some of them:
- Potatoes are rich in antioxidants, such as flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids that counteract the appearance and functionality of free radicals, associated with aging and chronic diseases.
- They contain resistant starch, not fully absorbed from the intestine and associated with improved insulin sensitivity.
- They improve digestion and inflammation, thanks to resistant starch, which is converted into short-chain fatty acids, useful for intestinal health and to reduce the risk of inflammation-associated diseases.
- They have a high satiating power, useful for regulating appetite and maintaining body weight.
- Potatoes are naturally gluten-free, therefore, suitable in case of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Calories and nutritional values ​​of potatoes
100 g of potatoes provide:
- 80 kcal
- 2,1 g protein
- G carbohydrates 18
- Sugars 0,4 g
- 0,1 g fat
- Fiber 1,6 g
Potatoes, allies of
Gastrointestinal system, sugar metabolism and longevity.
Potatoes among the natural remedies against sunburn: discover the others
Curiosities about potatoes
Potatoes appeared about 8.000 years ago in a region between Bolivia and Peru, but for many centuries they were thought to be poisonous and associated with leprosy.
Le chips were invented back in 1853 by an Indo-American chef, George Crum, intent on annoying a too demanding customer of the luxury restaurant where he worked, who had sent back a plate of "french fries" three times, because they weren't thin enough. Exasperated, the chef decided to take revenge and cut the potatoes into very thin slices, so that, once fried, they would be so hard that they could not be eaten. It was not so: the customer was enthusiastic about the recipe and the dish became a specialty of the restaurant. So a few years later, Crum opened a restaurant that offered a basket of fries at each table.
A raw slice applied over a sunburn for 15-20 minutes, soothes the pain. With the same system, it is possible remove the discomfort and redness of mosquito bites.
A recipe up your sleeve
Potatoes are an extremely versatile and tasty food in all its versions: boiled, baked, steamed or fried. In the latter case, it is good to limit its consumption and prefer healthier cooking methods and raw seasoning.
Here is a tasty recipe typical of Swiss cuisine, in a lighter version: the Potatoe's Rosti.
Ingredients
- 3 large potatoes;
- 30 g of butter or oil;
- Salt to taste;
- Pepper as needed.
Preparation
- Peel and wash the potatoes and, after dabbing them on kitchen sheets, grate them in a bowl.
- Season them with salt, pepper and butter and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a lightly greased baking sheet and compact the surface well with a fork.
- Bake in the oven at 200 ° for about 15 minutes, until the rosti is golden and crunchy.
- Serve with a portion of vegetables and fish.
A very similar recipe is that of Hash brown, grated potato pancakes typical of English breakfast, in which they are usually accompanied with cold cuts or cheeses.
Also discover the recipes with sweet potatoes
Other articles about potatoes:
> The properties, use and benefits of potato starch
> Do you know the different potato varieties in the world?
> Potatoes among the natural remedies for dark circles
> Potatoes and foods rich in potassium
> Potatoes and foods rich in magnesium
> Potato starch: properties, uses and recipes
> Potatoes For Headaches: Do They Really Work?
> Purple potatoes, properties and benefits
> 3 recipes with purple potatoes
> Baked potatoes, the recipe
Bibliography and sources
Protein, weight management, and satiety, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Potential beneficial effects of butyrate in intestinal and extraintestinal diseases, World Journal of Gastroenterology
Insulin-sensitizing effects of dietary resistant starch and effects on skeletal muscle and adipose tissue metabolism, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Assessment of Blood Glucose Regulation and Safety of Resistant Starch Formula-Based Diet in Healthy Normal and Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes, Medicine
Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress as a major cause of age-related diseases and cancer, Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery
15 things you (maybe) don't know about potatoes, Focus
Food composition database for epidemiological studies in the country, European Oncological Institute
