When you think of a diet, carbohydrates are one of the first things that many people want to cut out. However, it is often more beneficial for you to consume carbohydrates like potatoes than to cut them out.
Can you eat potatoes on the Mediterranean diet?
The Mediterranean diet is not as strict when it comes to potatoes as it is with many other foods. Potatoes can often be a great source of potassium, and it contains plenty of great vitamins that will help you stay healthy. The additional boost of energy from potatoes can be helpful. However, we still recommend that you consume it sparingly.
Since potatoes are a favorite of almost any culture, we must look at how you can incorporate your favorite potatoes into the Mediterranean diet. Potatoes are readily available throughout the year, and it is also one of the more affordable food sources. Here, we will look at how you can incorporate it into the Mediterranean diet.
Can You Eat Potatoes On The Mediterranean Diet?
Potatoes can be incorporated into most diets when you think about it. The only diet that might have an issue with adding potatoes is the Keto diet. For the Mediterranean diet, you can add potatoes, but much like any food you add, you should consume it in small quantities, and if you can limit it to a couple of times a week, it is even better.
Contrary to popular belief, potatoes contain plenty of healthy nutrients that you might need. Potassium is one of the main nutrients, and when you combine this with Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C, you will see just how healthy it is. It can even aid in weight loss with the addition of fiber that will keep you full.
5 Ways To Make Potatoes Mediterranean Diet-Friendly
Now that you have seen that potatoes can be effective for your Mediterranean diet, you might also need to look at a couple of ways to integrate them. Unfortunately, you cannot consume plenty of French fries and think that it is going to be healthy. Here are some of the best ways that you can use to integrate potatoes into the Mediterranean diet.
Avoid French Fries
One of the most common ways that Americans consume potatoes is in the form of French fries. While it might be a tasty way to consume potatoes, it is one of the unhealthiest ways that you can eat these potatoes. While making French fries, the potatoes need to be cooked in plenty of oil, containing a lot of saturated fat.
If you want to consume your French fries, you are much better off buying or even creating your oven-baked fries. By baking the fries in the oven, you can still get the same crispy fries, but you have control over how much oil is absorbed. This makes it a much healthier option to consider.
Roasted Potatoes
We all love roasted potatoes on a Sunday afternoon to fill you up with a great meal. Roasted potatoes are one of the best ways that you can eat potatoes on the Mediterranean diet, and you will need to cook them yourself. You will have control over what you put in, and once again, you can control the oil you put on the potatoes.
While many people might prefer to peel the potatoes, we often recommend that you leave the skins on the potatoes. The skins contain plenty of healthy vitamins, which will aid in the nutrients you will need to eat the Mediterranean diet.
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are one of the healthiest ways to eat potatoes, and you won’t need any oil. Yes, you will be adding a little bit of butter depending on the recipe you use, but you will also control all the other ingredients. Unfortunately, you will need to remove the peels, but these can be cooked separately to create potato skins.
When thinking of mashed potatoes, we recommend that you create them from scratch. Yes, there are plenty of mashed potatoes that you can put in the microwave, but they have plenty of preservatives that you don’t need. We recommend creating your own healthy mashed potatoes.
If You Need To Use Oil, Use Olive Oil
The occasional baked potato in the oven with a little bit of oil is often a nice treat. However, most recipes will tell you to use canola or sunflower oil when you bake your potatoes. You don’t need to use these oils, and by replacing them with olive oil, you will be adding a healthy variant to the potatoes to make them healthier.
Olive oil might be expensive, but you will only need a little drizzle to get the crispy consistency in the oven, and you will also notice that olive oil brings a different taste to the table that you might fall in love with.
Choose Baby Potatoes
One of the biggest issues with humans is that we often eat until the food is finished instead of stopping when we are full. By using smaller baby potatoes, you will be cooking fewer potatoes, and this also means you will be consuming less. The goal of potatoes is to fill your carving and fill you up, and you only need a little bit.
If you like large potatoes, we would recommend that you limit yourself. Perhaps by eating one or two each time you want to eat it, you will also be reducing the calories. Keep in mind that everything you eat should fit into your calorie limit.
Potatoes On The Mediterranean Diet Summary
The Mediterranean diet is one of the best diets when it comes to keeping you healthy and helping you lose weight. Potatoes can almost be seen as a staple food, and when you cook it the right way, it will always be healthy. Let us know in the comment section if you add potatoes to your Mediterranean diet and any cooking tips we missed.
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