The Truth About Potatoes: Health, Myths and Recipes

Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t love a good potato?

Whether mashed, roasted, baked, or turned into golden wedges, the potato is one of the world’s most beloved comfort foods. But in the wellness space, potatoes have often been unfairly labelled as “bad carbs” or “blood sugar bombs.”

It’s time to set the record straight.

When prepared and eaten mindfully, potatoes can be nourishing, satisfying, and gut-friendly, even for those watching their blood sugar.

The Surprising Health Benefits of Potatoes

Potatoes aren’t just a starchy filler. They are a nutrient-rich whole food that provides:

1. Potassium powerhouse Potatoes are higher in potassium than bananas. This supports heart health, nerve function, and blood pressure regulation.

2. Rich in vitamin C Particularly when the skin is left on. Just one medium potato provides about 30% of your daily vitamin C.

3. Excellent source of fibre Especially in baby potatoes and when cooked then cooled.

4. Source of resistant starch When cooked and cooled, potatoes develop resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that:

• Feeds beneficial gut bacteria

• Helps regulate blood sugar levels

• May reduce inflammation and insulin resistance
  

What Happens When You Cool Potatoes?

When you cook potatoes and then cool them down, especially overnight in the fridge, some of their digestible starches are converted into resistant starch.

This makes them:

• Lower on the glycemic index

• Less likely to spike blood sugar

• More supportive of the gut microbiome
  

Even better, you can reheat them gently and the resistant starch benefits remain. So your baby potato salad or reheated roast potatoes still carry gut-healing potential.

Baby Potatoes vs Regular Potatoes

Baby (new) potatoes are:

• Lower in total starch

• Naturally lower on the glycaemic index

• Often eaten with the skin on, which adds fibre and antioxidants
  

This makes them an ideal choice for anyone watching blood sugar, looking to support their gut bacteria, or simply aiming to keep energy levels steady.

Nourishing Potato Recipes

Baby Potato Salad with Herbs and Mustard

Ingredients

• 500g baby potatoes, boiled and cooled overnight

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 3 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• 1 tsp raw honey (optional)

• Handful of chopped parsley and chives

• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
  

Method

1. Cut cooled potatoes in halves or quarters.

2. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over potatoes.

3. Toss with herbs. Serve chilled or gently warmed.
   

Crispy Sliced Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 medium potatoes, sliced into ½ cm rounds

• 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee

• Sea salt, rosemary, smoked paprika

  
  

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (fan).

2. Lay slices on a baking tray lined with parchment.

3. Drizzle with oil and season.

4. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway, until golden and crisp.

Baby Potato and Herb Fishcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed cooked baby potatoes (cooled)

• 1 cup cooked flaked white fish (cod, haddock)

• 1 egg

• 1 tbsp chopped dill or parsley

• Zest of 1 lemon

• Salt and pepper
  

Method

1. Mix all ingredients well and shape into patties.

2. Chill for 15 minutes.

3. Pan-fry in olive oil or ghee until golden on each side.
   

Simple Baked Potato with Gut-Friendly Toppings

Ideas

• Greek yoghurt, chives, and sauerkraut

• Hummus, rocket, and roasted red pepper

• Crushed avocado, pumpkin seeds, and sea salt

• Cook the potato, cool overnight, and then reheat before adding toppings for maximum resistant starch.

The Good News

Potatoes are good on a low FODMAP diet, low histamine diet BUT they are part of a group of foods known as the ‘deadly nightshades.’ While they are not inherently harmful to everyone, those with autoimmune or inflammatory conditions may benefit from a trial elimination.

For most, however, well prepared potatoes can be a comforting, gut- supportive whole food.