Baked potatoes: friend or foe?

Potatoes are a great source of energy, vitamin C, potassium, iron, Vitamin B6 and fibre.

They are also fat, salt and cholesterol free.

So, all good with your raw ingredient.

Now what do you do with it?

Keep potatoes healthy!

1. Pick the right sized potato

2. Think carefully about what you eat it with

Popular toppings are butter, cheese and baked beans. Very tasty but the issue is that lots of butter and cheese means consuming lots of fat while baked beans are relatively high in sugar. This means that you end up with a high calorie meal which could also leave you feeling sluggish.

A baked potato is a great, quick option to have as part of your weekly schedule so let loose your imagination when it comes to toppings.

How about trying your potato with:

• Cherry tomatoes and ricotta

• Feta, olives and sun dried tomatoes

• Roast vegetables

• Spiced chickpea

• Chili

• Broccoli and cheddar

• Caramelized onions (if served accompanied by protein)

• Brie and ham

• Bruschetta

• Tuna lime and coriander

• Smoked mackerel, spring onions and crème fraiche

• Tuna, cucumber, red onion, cottage cheese

• Steak strips and fried onions (everything in moderation)

Something else to consider

Despite the name, sweet potatoes are lower on the glycaemic index than regular potatoes.

Mix up your routine and include these once every week or two.