Why you should eat more potatoes – and the healthiest ways to cook them

Telegraph

21-05-2025

Boiled, mashed, fried or baked, potatoes have long been a beloved part of the British diet. From fish and chips to bangers and mash or perfectly crisped with a Sunday roast, they're the classic comfort food.
Ever since the 1500s, when they were first brought to Europe from South America, potatoes have been a favourite filling staple. But the once undisputed king of carbs is losing its place on British plates, edged out by rice and noodles. Vilified by the protein-loving, anti-carb brigade, blamed for everything from weight gain to blood-sugar spikes; it's no wonder the potato has lost its crown.
But the humble spud has does not deserve this bad rap.
'I often tell clients to consider swapping some of the rice or pasta that they eat each week for potatoes,' says Sophie Trotman, a nutritionist. 'Potatoes contain a lot of micronutrients, as well as a good amount of fibre and resistant starch, both of which are crucial to gut health and may help prevent bowel cancer.'
Here is why potatoes can be a health superhero – if eaten in the right way.
The health benefits of potatoes
Potatoes have many health benefits, including:
High in vitamins and minerals
High in fibre and resistant starch
Packed with antioxidants
Can boost skin health and the immune system
Good for gut health
Low in calories
Super satiating
Potatoes contain a huge array of micronutrients: they are packed with large amounts of vitamins C and B6, potassium, folate and magnesium, along with some iron and phosphorus. A medium-sized russet potato contains around 17mg of phosphorous (which is good for bone and muscle health), nearly half the daily intake recommended by the NHS, and more potassium (which helps regulate fluids and blood pressure) than a banana. Both make potatoes excellent for the health of your skin and immune system.
'The vitamin B6 in potatoes plays an important role in supporting the nervous system,' says Rob Hobson, a nutritionist and the author of Unprocess Your Family Life. 'The potassium they contain contributes to blood pressure regulation and normal muscle function.' Magnesium, meanwhile, is important for healthy sleep.
Despite all of this, 'potatoes themselves are relatively low in calories – it's often what we do to them that makes the difference,' notes Hobson. Around 100g of plain potato contains around 80 calories, a meagre amount compared with the same serving of cooked white pasta, which can come in at up to 200 calories.
Then there are the antioxidants that come with potatoes. The root vegetable is rich in flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids, all of which can be protective against cancer, diabetes and heart disease. 'Purple or orange-fleshed potatoes are higher in antioxidants because their colour indicates a higher level of polyphenols,' Hobson explains. 'But even white potatoes contain a good amount, which is one of the reasons they're such a nutritious food.'
The main reason nutritionists rave about the health benefits of potatoes, however, is their fibre content. 'A medium potato contains around 2g of insoluble fibre, which means that they are great for keeping you regular and also for balancing your blood sugar,' says Trotman.
White potatoes are a complex carbohydrate, meaning that they take more energy to digest and stay in your system for longer. This puts them 'more on par with brown rice or pasta health-wise than with white pasta, rice or bread, which are refined carbohydrates,' Trotman adds.
Potatoes that have been cooked and then cooled also contain resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that can't be digested well by the small intestine, so instead ferments in the large intestine, 'acting as a prebiotic,' Trotman says. This fermentation process produces short-chain fatty acids that contribute to various health benefits, such as reduced inflammation and lower blood sugar.
Another score for potatoes: they are the most filling and satisfying food on the planet. Boiled potatoes top the satiety index, created in the 1990s by Australian researcher Dr Susanna Holt, which ranks different foods for their ability to quell hunger relative to their calorie content.
'Potatoes are naturally filling thanks to their water content, resistant starch, fibre, and overall bulk,' explains Hobson. By Holt's ranking, potatoes are twice as filling as wholemeal bread and three times as filling as white bread. 'You don't need to eat a huge amount to feel satisfied, which makes them a helpful food if you're looking to manage your weight,' Hobson says.
The health drawbacks
Low in protein
Contain solanine, which can cause nausea
High glycaemic index
Being such a dense source of carbohydrates, potatoes lack both fat and protein. 'This is why I wouldn't recommend that people eat potatoes for three meals a day every day,' says Trotman. That said, 'usually people don't eat potatoes on their own. I'd just advise pairing them with a lean protein like fish or chicken.'
Further to this, potatoes are high on the glycemic index, a ranking of carbohydrate-based foods for their propensity to spike blood sugar, followed by blood sugar dips 'that can make people crave sugary or starchy foods more quickly,' Trotman explains. Foods that have a high glycemic index should be eaten carefully by people with prediabetes or diabetes for this reason.
'Getting through a lot of potatoes in one sitting can be a problem for your blood sugar and can potentially contribute to excess calorie consumption,' she adds. 'They're an excellent food to have as a regular part of your diet – you just need to be careful to eat them in moderation and be aware of the right portion sizes for your meals.'
'Potatoes belong to the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and aubergines,' Hobson explains. 'This means they contain solanine – a natural compound that can cause issues like nausea or abdominal pain for some people in large amounts. You'll mostly find it in sprouting or green potatoes, so just cut away any green or soft bits and sprouts before cooking.'
Do potatoes make you fat?
Potatoes are no more fattening than any other food, in and of themselves. 'Carbohydrates contain fewer calories per gram than fat — but it depends how you prepare them,' says Hobson. 'Adding butter, cheese, or cream to potatoes increases their calorie content significantly. Fat also makes food more palatable, which can lead to overeating.'
This goes a long way in explaining why chips, especially the triple-cooked sort, coming in at up to 250 calories per 100g, can quickly become fattening. 'It's very easy to get through a lot of chips in a sitting,' says Trotman. 'I think that this explains why potatoes have a reputation for causing weight gain.'
Boiled potatoes may top the satiety rankings, but fried, roasted, baked or mashed potatoes are less filling, as they lose some of their water content as they are cooked.
How much potato should I eat?
According to the NHS, starchy carbs like potatoes should make up around a third of your daily food intake. The official daily guideline intake of carbs for women is 230g per day, while men should aim for 300g per day, around a third of the daily calorie requirement for both sexes respectively.
'I wouldn't recommend that you get all of your carbohydrates from potatoes. As with anything, variety is important to a healthy diet and eating a wide range of carb sources helps you eat different types of meals,' says Trotman. That said, if you were to eat potatoes alone to meet your carb needs, you could eat around nine medium boiled potatoes every day if you were a woman, or twelve if you were a man.
The healthiest way to eat potatoes
Nutritional values are per 100g
Boiled
86 calories, 0.1g fat