Potato's

Hi Folks

I wanted to ask any info on potato's.

I dont really want to cut these from my eating habbit as I love them, but it would be good to know if I eat maybe 2 or 3 times a week if that will do any harm to my weight loss,

I have changed the way I eat them by cutting down on salt when boiling, I wont put butter in mashed potatoes and instead of deep frying chips (french fries to our American friends) I now cover them in olive oil and cook them in the oven instead, I have started to eat more brown rice in place of potato's with some meals.

Cheers :)

You don' have to eliminate them - just count the calories in them (which really aren't that high).  They are actually good for you - its all the "stuff" that we put on them that gives them their bad rep or how they are cooked (ie fried).  I don't use any salt in boiling any vegetable and to be honest don't notice any difference at all.  Sweet potatoes (yams) are another alternative.  I even mix the two together. 

One trick that I've learned as well is to make mashed potatoes with 1/3 potato and 2/3 cauliflower.  I  boil them together and mash them. I usually just add in some garlic or Mrs. Dash/pepper and if I have the calories available maybe some sour cream.  The calories are reduced and I honestly find that it still tastes like mashed potatoes.  You can adjust the ratio - I started out with 1/3 cauliflower and just kept increasing that.

potato's what?  potato's shoes?  potato's moustache?  potato's little plastic hat?

Original Post by lynnmm1961:

You don' have to eliminate them - just count the calories in them (which really aren't that high).  They are actually good for you - its all the "stuff" that we put on them that gives them their bad rep or how they are cooked (ie fried).  I don't use any salt in boiling any vegetable and to be honest don't notice any difference at all.  Sweet potatoes (yams) are another alternative.  I even mix the two together. 

One trick that I've learned as well is to make mashed potatoes with 1/3 potato and 2/3 cauliflower.  I  boil them together and mash them. I usually just add in some garlic or Mrs. Dash/pepper and if I have the calories available maybe some sour cream.  The calories are reduced and I honestly find that it still tastes like mashed potatoes.  You can adjust the ratio - I started out with 1/3 cauliflower and just kept increasing that.

How do you know when the cauliflower is done, and is ratio by weight? Sounds interesting I want to try it. :)

Potatoes are awesome and in moderation are good for you. They got a bad rep during the whole Atkins siliness. Unforenatly the myth that they are bad for you is still around. Same for eggs and the dietary cholesterol in them, but that is another story.

I really like baked potatoes. I split it down the middle add heapfull of Fage greek yogurt, diced green onions and bunch of maggi.

For mashed potatoes I use fage a bit of skim milk, maggi and dice lean franks in to it. After mixing it all together I have it on a whole grain toast, or just french bread. Mmm delicious.

UD

Original Post by pgeorgian:

potato's what?  potato's shoes?  potato's moustache?  potato's little plastic hat?

*snicker*

I just made "potato" salad, using no potatoes at all - replacing them with cauliflower. You can eat a heaping amount for a fraction of the calories. I used this recipe as a base, but I added/omitted my own ingredients to my personal taste.

Potatoes are a nutritional bargain.  Look at the values for a medium bake potato

http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-potato es-russet-flesh-skin-baked-i11356?size=2

Did you know it had that much protein, vitamin C and iron?  They're good for you if you control your portions.  I'd never give up my twice a week potato!

Original Post by pgeorgian:

potato's what? potato's shoes? potato's moustache? potato's little plastic hat?

potato's lack of grammar skills, clearly.

i like having "mexican potaotes" I baked it (or microwave if i am feeling lazy), cut it open, and add black beans, sauted peppers and onions and salsa. Also tastes great with sweet potatoes.

It's funny - I'd been wondering the nutritional info on potatos with and without the skin.  A large potato with the skin has 20 more calories vs the same weight peeled, but it also has quite a bit more fiber, protein and vitamins.  They are really quite a healthy choice, as long as you don't pile on the unhealthy toppings!

The skin is one of the best parts! Even when I make mashed potatoes I leave the skin. Plus I am too lazy to peel them. lol

UD

Original Post by umneydurak:

Original Post by lynnmm1961:

You don' have to eliminate them - just count the calories in them (which really aren't that high).  They are actually good for you - its all the "stuff" that we put on them that gives them their bad rep or how they are cooked (ie fried).  I don't use any salt in boiling any vegetable and to be honest don't notice any difference at all.  Sweet potatoes (yams) are another alternative.  I even mix the two together. 

One trick that I've learned as well is to make mashed potatoes with 1/3 potato and 2/3 cauliflower.  I  boil them together and mash them. I usually just add in some garlic or Mrs. Dash/pepper and if I have the calories available maybe some sour cream.  The calories are reduced and I honestly find that it still tastes like mashed potatoes.  You can adjust the ratio - I started out with 1/3 cauliflower and just kept increasing that.

How do you know when the cauliflower is done, and is ratio by weight? Sounds interesting I want to try it. :)

 I usually go by volume and try and cut the cauliflower and potatoes up into similar sizes (the potatoes might be a bit smaller) as they have almost the same density.

Original Post by umneydurak:

 

 

For mashed potatoes I use fage a bit of skim milk, maggi and dice lean franks in to it. After mixing it all together I have it on a whole grain toast, or just french bread. Mmm delicious.

UD

Haha .. yes I love mashed potato sandwich .. everybody looks at me like I am mad when I tell them I eat mashed potato sandwich :)..

Thanks everybody for the replies ... feel a bit better now :).... looks like I will be having mashed potato sandwich for lunch (with whole grain bread of cours) :)..

Sweet potatoes are the best.  Especially baked like your doing with regular potatoes.  And like everyone said in moderation they are fine.  I just have one word of caution which I just learned last week.  A potato serving is based on the raw weight not the cooked weight. At least that is what my nutritionist told me.  And as soon as I start weight prior to cooking I broke my plateau.  Since I eat one sweet potato everyday it made a big calorie difference.

Original Post by kev100:

Original Post by umneydurak:

 

 

For mashed potatoes I use fage a bit of skim milk, maggi and dice lean franks in to it. After mixing it all together I have it on a whole grain toast, or just french bread. Mmm delicious.

UD

Haha .. yes I love mashed potato sandwich .. everybody looks at me like I am mad when I tell them I eat mashed potato sandwich :)..

so are potatoes a staple of the lithuanian diet? i like that idea of using fage in them, i am definitely going to have to give that a try.

mashed potato sandwich? not so bad...i think french fries are a staple of the american diet.

one of my best friends is from poland - she eats the healthiest diet of most people i know. i love when she invites me over and feeds me. always a treat!

so are potatoes a staple of the lithuanian diet? i like that idea of using fage in them, i am definitely going to have to give that a try.

mashed potato sandwich? not so bad...i think french fries are a staple of the american diet.

one of my best friends is from poland - she eats the healthiest diet of most people i know. i love when she invites me over and feeds me. always a treat!

Well I am not actually Lithuanian, I am English but I live in Lithuania.

I dont really understand what goes on in Lithuania, all the girls (I only notice the girls ;) ) are all very slim .. but they actually eat alot of potatoes, its like their national food .. lots of food is fried but still everybody is still very slim

The only thing I can put it down to is that there still isnt that many pre-packages fast foods here from the supermarkets .. most foods are fresh foods, there are not many fast food chains ony a few McDonalds and only 1 KFC

They all seem to drink alot, but all the girls like to dance when they go out so I guess thats some excercise ..

I think they are the result of some sort of soveit experiment from 30 years ago :)...

Original Post by pamm915:

Sweet potatoes are the best...

 Yes!  I don't think of them as potatoes though, but as a "vegetable of another color."  I eat them about twice a week and other days I have carrots, beets or some other colorful vegetable along with my massive quantities of green veggies.  My son in law makes a pureed sweet potato dish that is wonderful.  The only ingredients are steamed sweet potatoes, salt and cinnamon, no butter or cream, but you'd think it was something sinful and rich it's so good. 

You are so right about weighing portions correctly!  Water is lost in cooking, so the finished product will be lighter than it was when raw, tempting us to justify eating more.

Original Post by kev100:

so are potatoes a staple of the lithuanian diet? i like that idea of using fage in them, i am definitely going to have to give that a try.

mashed potato sandwich? not so bad...i think french fries are a staple of the american diet.

one of my best friends is from poland - she eats the healthiest diet of most people i know. i love when she invites me over and feeds me. always a treat!

Well I am not actually Lithuanian, I am English but I live in Lithuania.

I dont really understand what goes on in Lithuania, all the girls (I only notice the girls ;) ) are all very slim .. but they actually eat alot of potatoes, its like their national food .. lots of food is fried but still everybody is still very slim

The only thing I can put it down to is that there still isnt that many pre-packages fast foods here from the supermarkets .. most foods are fresh foods, there are not many fast food chains ony a few McDonalds and only 1 KFC

They all seem to drink alot, but all the girls like to dance when they go out so I guess thats some excercise ..

I think they are the result of some sort of soveit experiment from 30 years ago :)...

hmmm yeah that doesnt make alot of sense does it? counterintuitive anyways.

my friend gosia is very slim too and she doesnt diet at all but ive NEVER seen her eat fast food, she always eats very fresh things, and she only drinks her homemade vodka. sips i mean, i can drink two or three or four shot glasses to her one lol. shes like 5"7" and 115. doesnt exercise either. i dont know...but she grew up with socialism and rationing and 1 oz of chocolate a month only for children under 16 kinda thing so theres that.

whats weird is girl eats more chocolate that anyone ive ever met in my life!!! her hubby goes to austria every year and brings back  lbs and lbs. i love it when he goes cuz she always saves some for me. its the best!

so how did you end up in lithuania? sounds so...random i guess.

Original Post by pgeorgian:

potato's what?  potato's shoes?  potato's moustache?  potato's little plastic hat?

 I'm sorry, but this is the lamest attempt at humor I've seen in a LONG time

Original Post by watergirl:

so are potatoes a staple of the lithuanian diet? i like that idea of using fage in them, i am definitely going to have to give that a try.

mashed potato sandwich? not so bad...i think french fries are a staple of the american diet.

one of my best friends is from poland - she eats the healthiest diet of most people i know. i love when she invites me over and feeds me. always a treat!

I am not Lithuanian so I wouldn't know. Although it is a staple of the eastern european block.

UD