how do I increase the nutritional value of (meals with) potatoes? - Page 2

[lil_earthmomma]

For mashed, we do 1/2 and 1/2 potato and cauliflower and so far, no one has noticed!!! (it may help that I add roasted garlic, or sometimes chives, or even carmalized onions and horseradish, which is so awesome with beef!) Plenty of butter and bone broth gravy mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

[BunnySlippers]

I couldnt stop thinking about potatoes so I am cooking some right now....

I will have to try the cauliflower mix, never thought of them for some reason.

[ParisApril]

I make potatoes and onions fried in butter almost every day for breakfast.

They are so much more than white rice and white flour. Eat them and enjoy!

[FairyRae]

Well, I've been doing a lot of reading lately on nightshades (potato is one of them) and just wanted to share what I've found. There seem to be lots of links between arthritis and joint pain/issues and eating nightshades. (I actually have always had mild joint issues/pain--so mild I don't really think much about it, and it HAS gotten better since adding in bone broth, but I wonder if cutting out nightshades would help totally clear it up??? I also have a history of arthritis in my family--my grandmother and father both had/have it, so if some people are more prone to it then others, I'd think I'd be one...) From what I've read, it only takes a few weeks of eliminating them to see if they cause problems for you.

Anyway, there are multiple links that are worth following and reading in this post that are related to eating nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes [white--not sweet], bell peppers, eggplant, etc.) and general health. (It's from a paleo forum, so the info is skewed towards that kind of audience just fyi!)

I also find it interesting that white potatoes (which are in the nightshade family) are NOT in the same 'food family' as arrowroot (a tuber often considered paleo--may have been discussed in the articles I shared in a previous post) or sweet potatoes (morning glory family). (For more on food families, check out: http://www.calgaryallergy.ca/Article...by_Food_Family)

Just wanted to share this other perspective on potatoes (and all nightshades) after my raving review of potatoes earlier in the thread! If I *do* actually drop them for a bit, I'll be sure to share any results here!


ETA: I've been doing some more reading, and just found this (not really related to nightshades, but related to joint issues, and just wanted to share it in case anyone is interested):

Originally Posted by whoMe

Potential asthma and joint issues would point you to impaired sulfoxidation, molybdenum and B6, and the sulfur sensitivity thread

I KNOW I have sulfoxidation issues, and am working on them, which could be/are probably totally related to my joint issues. Just thought I'd add that--all this stuff is so complex!!!!!

[425lisamarie]

I wouldn't be down on "needing" to eat potatoes. Sure you could replace them with something more nutrient dense. I may be able to sit down to a plate of liver and five pounds of sauted kale but a kid is probably not gonna think that looks fabulous (i'm sure someone here will tell me their kid does )

It just makes feeding the family easier. Having a side dish my kids love, and isn't a grain or empty calories, makes them eat twice as much of the other good stuff. I make potatoes like twice baked style, and they are so good and you can mix in cauliflower, and wahtever else. I love pancetta, parmesan, roasted garlic and cauliflower. They freeze good too! Since they kinda take more effort than some things, I make lots and freeze. And since I have lots of leftover potato from subbing some cauliflower, I use the leftover potatoes to to mix with more cauliflower, and other root veggie to top a shepherd's pie. Or mix with buckwheat flour and seasonings and fry little globs the sized of tater tots in bacon fat :

[FairyRae]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

fry little globs the sized of tater tots in bacon fat :

AHHH--you always make me hungry! Twiced baked potatoes are one of my favorites--I love the idea of adding cauli (or other veggies) to the mix!

We had mashed garlic cauli w/ our breakfast and lunch today. So good!

[organicmidwestmama]

Originally Posted by 425lisamarie

I wouldn't be down on "needing" to eat potatoes. Sure you could replace them with something more nutrient dense. I may be able to sit down to a plate of liver and five pounds of sauted kale but a kid is probably not gonna think that looks fabulous (i'm sure someone here will tell me their kid does )

It just makes feeding the family easier. Having a side dish my kids love, and isn't a grain or empty calories, makes them eat twice as much of the other good stuff. I make potatoes like twice baked style, and they are so good and you can mix in cauliflower, and wahtever else. I love pancetta, parmesan, roasted garlic and cauliflower. They freeze good too! Since they kinda take more effort than some things, I make lots and freeze. And since I have lots of leftover potato from subbing some cauliflower, I use the leftover potatoes to to mix with more cauliflower, and other root veggie to top a shepherd's pie. Or mix with buckwheat flour and seasonings and fry little globs the sized of tater tots in bacon fat :

wow, that all sounds delish!

[vancouverlori]

One of DS's favourite potato dishes: Colcannon! We saute some onions, add some cabbage-type veggie, saute a minute or two, add broth and cook 5-10 minutes, then add potatoes and other things like parsnips or carrots or rutabagas, and just enough broth and/or water to cover (I like about 1/3 cabbage, 2/3 potato) and cook until everything is soft. Carefully strain out the liquid (save for soup or something), and mash it up with salt and pepper.
ETA: butter! don't forget to add butter! (or if that's out, some other yummy oil)

[A&A]

Try sweet potatoes--they have a lot more to offer, nutritionally.

[StrongBeliever]

We've been eating a lot of potatoes lately just because they are affordable. I hate to say that I find them filling the gap where I've started to cut out most grains, but I think that might be the natural order of things right now. That being said, I know that they aren't exactly nutrition super-stars, but I don't think they are as evil as wonderbread or anything either. My great Aunts(German and Norwegian) lived to be in their late nineties and early hundreds eating a diet of mostly pork and potatoes. They have their place. I would just like it to be a smaller place in our diet. Waiting for the season to change, I guess.

When I make potatoes, I always incorporate a ton of whatever fat is on hand or seems yummy. Usually that is cream, butter, or sour cream. Cheese comes next, but is more expensive so that's not often. I tend to worry about the protein, and we're low meat right now because of finances. But I get gobs of free raw milk, so make a lot of soups. Or "creamed" fried potatoes. Fry them with onions and/or another veg and then make milk gravy in the pan with them. Got lazy and just started cooking the diced potatoes in the milk and butter and that works out awesome. At the end I turn off the heat and stir in about a pint of raw cream mixed with anything from 6-12 raw egg yolks, and whatever seasoning I like. Lately that is homemade ranch dressing mix. This is VERY good. It's kind of sloppy, like really thick soup. I'll serve that, still hot, on top of mixed greens, diced beet tops or baby spinach. My kids will eat the heck out of that, greens and all. That makes the eggs, cream, and greens only slightly cooked, next to raw even, and I feel good about that. You can also throw a few handfuls of raw spinach or kale into mashed potatoes and that is really good. I love the combo of greens and potatoes, for whatever reason. I guess just be sure to pair them with a lot of fat, and maybe another more nutrient dense veggie if you can't afford to pair them with a gob of meat. While my waistline might suffer a tad from eating like this(I really overly adore the taste of fatty potatoes) we seem to be doing pretty well as far as functioning goes. My kids aren't dissolving into fits like they did when we would eat a lot of grains(no matter how healthy I prepared them), and I am not getting near as many headaches. Potatoes aren't all that bad, for us at least.

[Whisper-ma-Phone]

Originally Posted by mamaofthree

you could add sweet potatoes to the mix and maybe some greens (like chard) and onions, garlic, leeks? i love this btw! lol

h

I agree! Mashed or boiled potatoes, with or without the skin, are delicious tossed with sauteed onions and kale.

I also pressure cook new potatoes with some kale, then stir in a little cider vingegar for a tangy warm or cold potato salad. Yumma!