In defense of the potato

Cinzia Cuneo November 25, 2009 Vegetables

The potato has honourably nourished us since many generations. However, over the past few years, it has become a victim of denigration and even fallacies: It has been accused of making people fat, containing few nutritional elements, increasing the risk of diabetes, etc.

In reality, an average potato baked in the oven with its skin, contains less calories than a portion of white rice or pasta, more vitamins and fibers, and it satisfies the hunger more. Indeed, the real problem lies not in the potato itself, but in the way it is prepared and in the amount that is consumed.

Nutritional and tasty, the potato blends perfectly in a well balanced diet. Moreover, it is less expensive than cereal products especially given the latter’s steep rise in prices over the last few months. In addition, since this vegetable is produced in Quebec, consuming it would be a concrete way of helping our producers as well as our local economy.

Last but not least, here’s a small piece of advice: If the skin does not bother you, don’t peel your potatoes, since nutrients are found mainly between the skin and the flesh.

A few of our recipes that feature potatoes:

• New Potatoes with Chives
• Potato and Arugula Salad
• Cream of Potato Soup “Parmentier”
• Chic Poutine

Potato and Arugula Salad

Originally published in the Journal de Montréal on November 22, 2008.

Author

Cinzia Cuneo

Cinzia Cuneo, founder of SOSCuisine.com, never wanted to neglect the quality of her food. She shares her special expertise to make good food quickly and without complications!