Posted on February 26th, 2016

White potato has long been a staple food in many households even my own growing up. Whether it was mashed, roasted, steamed or fried it was always making an appearance. White potatoes are often criticised as being unhealthy, however if eaten in moderation and small amounts they do contain some nutrition including folate, vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium.

Mashed potato is particularly renowned for being loaded with butter, milk, cream or cheese which makes this fluffy, starchy, plain tasting vegetable taste even more delicious. While mashed potato gets a bad name and like all things it is best enjoyed in moderation there are ways to make it healthier.

 ‘Healthify’ White Potato

• Instead of using butter, milk, cheese and cream that is produced on cow’s milk dairy, try their healthier alternatives. Use a little olive oil, salt and pepper to flavour your mash. Use a small amount of grass fed butter with coconut cream or coconut milk. Try crumbling a little goat’s cheese or feta through rather than the more processed/harder cheeses.
• Try adding some cooked millet to white potato to bulk it up. Millet is used like a grain but is actually a seed and is quite fluffy in texture with a mild flavour.
• Try mashing half sweet potato and half white potato to get more nutrition. Sweet potato contains carotenoids some of which can be converted into vitamin A which is beneficial for vision and growth.
• Try mashing steamed cauliflower with some olive oil, salt and pepper or coconut milk. You could even add some nutritional yeast for those who are vegetarian or vegan and like the ‘cheesy’ flavour. Nutritional yeast is high in B vitamins.