We lately went all in on busting myths about potatoes (of which there are numerous!). This misunderstood vegetable doesn’t deserve its unhealthy status, and we hope we satisfied you that they’re really not the villain. However as we dug into these myths, we additionally realized that it maybe isn’t truthful to group all potatoes into one big monolith.

So regardless of all potatoes usually being misunderstood, are there any potatoes which can be more healthy than others? Are there some that supply additional advantages? How can we select what kinds of potatoes to make use of for what kind of dish?

Which Potato Selection Is Healthiest?

We personally consider each potato is scrumptious, and every has its personal strengths when it comes to vitamins and greatest makes use of. Right here’s how we’d deploy every kind of potato for a significantly versatile arsenal of this scrumptious veggie. 

Purple Potatoes: The Antioxidant Powerhouse

• Standout profit: In keeping with latest analysis, purple potatoes comprise at the least double the quantity of antioxidants when in comparison with white potatoes¹.
• Key compound: Anthocyanins (the identical antioxidant that makes berries blue and purple) are a main antioxidant in purple potatoes².
• Analysis-backed advantages:
  • One examine discovered that there was round a 60% improve in bloodstream antioxidant energy inside hours of consuming anthocyanin-rich meals³.
  • Consuming antioxidant-rich meals may also help cut back irritation within the physique, which might in flip assist decrease blood strain, stabilize blood sugar ranges, and defend the physique towards free radical harm⁴.
• Greatest makes use of: Purple potatoes style nice roasted with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of herbs. They’re additionally scrumptious boiled in dishes like potato salad, the place they supply a enjoyable increase of sudden colour.
• Availability: Purple potatoes have gotten extra frequent in common grocery shops, however could also be simpler to seek out in pure meals markets.

Crimson Potatoes: Nutrient-Dense with Decrease Glycemic Impression

• Key benefits: 
  • Crimson potatoes provide extra vitamins like potassium, fiber, and vitamin C than Russet potatoes
  • Decrease glycemic index (higher for blood sugar)
  • Waxy texture holds form properly
  • Skinny, tender pores and skin is straightforward to go away on and devour, which reduces prep time
• Dietary spotlight: Crimson potatoes have larger antioxidant ranges than white potatoes attributable to their anthocyanin content material. So when you’re questioning “are purple potatoes wholesome?”, the reply is sure.
• Greatest makes use of: Crimson potatoes are very versatile and may style nice of their boiled type in soups, stews, and potato salad, or of their roasted type with a wholesome fats and a sprinkle of salt and herbs.

Yukon Gold: The Balanced Selection

• Key benefits:
  • Yukon Gold potatoes provide extra antioxidants than white Russet potatoes
  • Naturally buttery taste with out including butter
  • Medium starch content material, which makes them tremendous versatile
  • The golden flesh of Yukon Gold potatoes point out carotenoid antioxidants
• Greatest makes use of: Yukon Gold potatoes are the jack-of-all-trades in terms of potatoes — they style nice of their mashed type, roasted in wedges with herbs and spices, baked as a easy facet dish, or in nearly any recipe that requires a potato.

Russet Potatoes: The Basic Workhorse

• Key benefits:
  • Highest starch content material
  • Fluffy texture when cooked
  • Commonest and inexpensive
  • Nonetheless nutritious regardless of being “white”
• Hidden profit: One stand-out advantage of Russet potato vitamin is their excessive starch content material, which makes them glorious for creating resistant starch when cooled⁵.
• Greatest makes use of: Attributable to their fluffy texture, Russet potatoes are nice for baking, mashing, and for making a resistant starch for meal prep. In addition they work very well when you’re making selfmade gnocchi!

The Verdict: Selection Is the Actual Winner

As you may see, whereas potatoes do all have sure commonalities, there’s a broad vary inside them that makes every good for various functions. Fairly than asking which of the numerous potato varieties is the healthiest, we consider it’s greatest to rotate by way of completely different colours of potatoes for a various consumption of phytonutrients. 

Finally, all styles of potatoes present important potassium, vitamin C, and fiber, however pigmented varieties like purple and purple potatoes can comprise additional antioxidants. Select potatoes primarily based on what cooking methodology you’re utilizing and the provision of various potatoes. Plus, you’ll additionally must take into consideration issues like private desire and funds, so there’s no must get connected to any single kind of potato!

The Backside Line: Potatoes Are Wholesome

So, is there a single “healthiest potato”? We don’t assume so. Potatoes are nutrient-dense greens that completely deserve a spot in a nutritious diet. They supply important vitamins that many People lack, like fiber. Simply make sure to put together and taste your potato in a wholesome strategy to benefit from this scrumptious and nutritious tuber.

Sources:

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4935237/
2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12348956/
3. https://www.researchgate.internet/publication/224943222_Serum_antioxidant_status_among_young_middle-aged_and_elderly_people_before_and_after_antioxidant_rich_diet
4. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12633781/
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6818944/

Tags: are potatoes wholesome potato vitamin potato varieties kinds of potatoes