Spuds back on the menu

Prince Lancaster
15 August 2008

IT wasn't so way back the potato was a staple of the Great Brit dinner. That was, naturally, till the Atkins diet came along, demonising any form of carbohydrate whilst announcing that eating fat can make you thin. For bacon and cream lovers, this was music to their ears. However, even people who were not drawn into the trend of living off beef and cheese started to be scared of eating too many starchy foods. All of a sudden , bread and potatoes were seen as fattening foods to be evaded. Health professionals now suggest that 1/3 of our daily calories should come from starchy foods like potato, rice, bread or other cereals. So, as the credit crunch bites, there hasn't been a better time to revisit home-grown favorites. Necessary vitamins Nutrition consultant Fiona Hunter explains : "Potatoes and carbs often had more than their share of bad press. "Because of the Atkins diet, folk have this concept of them as being fattening. Glaringly , if we eat them as chips, roast potatoes or with lashings of butter, it is going to extend the fat content - but in their ordinary state they are nearly fat-free." For those counting the calories, a portion of potatoes ( 175g or 3 decent-sized potatoes ) comes in at just 116 kcals. That's the equivalent of one-and-a-half digestive biscuits. In comparison, a portion of rice is 248 kcals and pasta is 228 kcals. Though a plant, potatoes don't count towards one of your five-a-day due to their starch content. But they are packed with necessary vitamins and nutrients.

"People should be aware that potatoes are now not just starchy carbs" Fiona adds. "They are a fantastic source of vitamin C, minerals like potassium, which help control blood pressure, iron and vitamins B1 and B6. Save money and time "Eaten in their jackets or boiled in their skins, potatoes are a helpful source of fibre. "They also have a high satiety index, which suggests they help you feel full for longer and therefore are good for weight-loss as an element of a calorie-controlled diet." When contemplating dishing up a quick dinner after work, instead of reach for a microwave prepared meal, in just twenty mins there are lots of methods to enjoy potatoes from a potato salad, omelette or potato curry to an easy side accompaniment with beef.

Looking to save money and time, why not make an enormous pan of potatoes for sausages and mash on Mon. , and use the rest to top a cottage pie on Tuesday? Or maybe fill a jacket potato with your favorite stir-fry or curry, pan-fry with bacon and crown with egg for a super-fast dinner or mix mash with fish, for speedy and straightforward fishcakes like your grandmama used to make.

Nick H said:
Whilesome believe that eating a low-carb diet may help folks lose weight, putting into practise isn't always so easy.
16 August 2008 12:26:48

downsized and waiting said:
BTW Related site post with Common mistakes of Atkins dieters. !
16 August 2008 17:34:37

lpparker said:
I just asked my boyfriend if anyone could remember pointing out this atkins article to me back when, and yep it waE in the news!
19 August 2008 23:56:12

Giovanny said:
we can get to the bottom of this!.
22 August 2008 00:50:22

Baldy said:
rGeat site I am nearly three quarters of the way through . I want to upload a couple of issues in a bit
06 September 2008 05:43:46

Valter said:
I’ll probably )et sacked for spending all p.m. reading this but worth the wait nonetheless. Thank you
24 September 2008 22:28:56

Slothie said:
Anybody else point out the cock up in the thread .
08 December 2008 23:42:54

atkins diet pinoyup said:
Let's just say that O ccassionally these blogs leave my head spinning wondering what the **** I only read then after a few days it usually begins to clarify
24 December 2008 09:15:58

Gerald said:
I've just studied the entire site and will print it and study it onM more time and afterwards ask some questions !
04 January 2009 11:19:55