Past Issues
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MYTH: White potatoes are fattening and unhealthy.
TRUTH: White potatoes are a good for you because they are: - A vegetable;
- A good source of Vitamins B & C;
- High in iron, magnesium, and potassium;
- A great complex carbohydrate that gives you energy that lasts for hours;
- A good source of fiber when you eat the skin;
- Fat free and cholesterol free.
IT’S ALL IN THE WAY YOU COOK IT. The amount of fat in a potato depends on how it is is cooked. All of the examples below show calories for the same small portion of potato (3 1/2 ounces):
- Baked or boiled, 95 calories
- With 1 T butter added, 203 calories
- Mashed (with 1 T butter & 1/4 cup 1% milk), 156 calories
- Hash browns, 229 calories
- French fries, 274 calories
- Potato chips, 564 calories
- STORING your potatoes in a safe way is as important as how you cook them. Did you know… If stored in the light, potatoes will turn green. The green color can be poisonous! ( If the peel is green, you can cut it off and still eat the white potato. If the whole potato is green, throw it away.) Baked potatoes left at room temperature for more than 2 hours can cause botulism. Potatoes stored in a warm spot will go bad quicker and can attract bugs and mice.
- SPUD SAFETY TIPS Potatoes can stay fresh for a month if you store them in a cool dark spot with good air circulation. Handle with care—bruised potatoes get dark and go rotten quicker. Once cooled to about 70º, refrigerate cooked potatoes (within 2 hours or less).
POTATO SALAD
- 4 microwaved potatoes, chopped
- 1 boiled egg, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 T garlic powder
- 3 T prepared mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup each vinegar and sugar (optional)
- 1/4 cup relish salt and pepper to taste
Place potatoes, eggs and celery in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together the rest of the ingredients. Mix into potatoes. Chill or enjoy at room temperature. *Microwave Potatoes: Wash, scrub and poke holes in potatoes and microwave them for 8-10 minutes on high. Keeps more vitamins and minerals that are lost when you boil potatoes.
HEALTHY CROCKPOT MASHED POTATOES
- 2 pounds potatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup water (or veggie broth)
- 1 t garlic powder pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup reduced fat or skim milk
- 2 T butter
Place the potatoes and water in a slow cooker. Add garlic powder and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours (or high for 4 hours). Mash potatoes and add milk and butter to get the right thickness. Keep warm on low until serving.
TWICE BAKED POTAOES
- 4 large microwaved potatoes
- 2 T butter 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 (10 oz.) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
- 1/2 cup fat free Ranch dressing
Cooking spray 2 t garlic powder 1/2 t cayenne pepper (optional) Preheat oven to 425º. Cut off tops of potato and scoop out inside of the potato leaving the potato skins intact. In a medium bowl, mash the potatoes and mix in the onions, butter, broccoli, ranch, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Spoon potato mixture back into skins. Coat potato skins with cooking spray. Bake on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until heated through.
CSFP Recipe of the Month: OVEN BAKED POTATOES
- Cooking spray
- 2 cans potatoes, rinsed and drained
- 2 T Onion Soup Mix
- 2 T vegetable oil
- 2 T garlic powder
- pepper to taste
- 2 slices reduced fat cheese
Coat a small baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients
except cheese. Pour potato mix in baking pan. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, top
with cheese and bake another 10 minutes.
What is a “Food of the Moth”
Our “Food of the Month” is a product available in our Lowcountry
Food Bank's warehouses. It is one that meets our criteria of a healthy
food.
What is a LCFB's “Healthy Food”?
Healthy foods are fruits, vegetables, fish, lean meat and
poultry, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and foods that do not
contain excessive amounts of fat or caloric sweeteners.
How are our recipes designed?
Our recipes are designed with the clients of our agencies in mind:
those who are hungry and poor.
The recipes:
- Use ingredients common in Lowcountry kitchens.
- Are tasty and easy to prepare.
- Meet our criteria for a healthy food.
- Limit high priced herbs and spices which may included as optional
ingredients.
We’d Like to Hear from You
We encourage your comments. They will help us understand concerns and
interests of those who use “Eat Well; Be Well”. Please contact Germaine Hall Jenkins, Nutrition Coordinator at the Lowcountry Food Bank, (843) 747-8146 ext.. 113 or ghall@lcfbank.org.
Sources: www.mypyramid.gov, www.cahe.nmsu.edu, www.foodsthatkeep.com.
Check out www.allrecipes.com! This site allows you to find other healthy recipes for our food of the month and even customizes a recipe when you change the number of servings.
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