Sunday, 11 September 2011
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Are Potato Skins Healthy For You?
Have you ever had a baked potato, but avoided the skin? Many people think that the skin is the dirtiest part of the potato and should not be eaten.
Baking potatoes can cause more vitamins to accumulate in the skin. They're also a good source of fiber. Unfortunately, potato peels can contain a naturally occurring poison - solanine. Potatoes, which like tomatoes and eggplant are members of the Solanaceae contains steroids and toxic chemicals known as glycoalkoloids.
The poisons are the potatoes natural defense against soil pests and are therefore concentrated in the peel. A greening of the potato skin is a sign of too much solanine. However, there is no need to panic because properly handled, potatoes are a great food source and their skins are healthy and tasty too. Just don't eat any green-skinned potatoes.
There are risks to eating and buying potatoes, but as long as we know which ones to stay away from.... there's no reason why we can't enjoy potatoes. After all, potatoes are also our second highest source of Vitamin C.
Do you eat potato skins?
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- From: goodeatings
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Comments (25)
can we just wash/scrub the skin?
@prettykay04@xanga - You can, I suppose. Most of the time I eat baked potatoes or potatoes without the skin.
If you're eating a dozen baked potato's a day, I can see why the accumulation of this poison would be bad for you. If you're eating three baked potato's a week... you really don't have anything to worry about.
In my Human Health and Wellness class a few years ago, we had a project to do with diets and nutrition. I had potato's. They're actually surprisingly healthy for you... and the skin isn't going to be the death of you if you factor in all the other harmful things we put into our bodies every day.
I just read about the toxics in potatos that start to bud and turn green yesterday over at Worlds Healthiest Foods . Worlds Healthiest Foods lists allergic family types for every food that it lists.
I prefer to leave the skin behind. My favorite way to eat them is to bake them, then cut them in half so that the skin part rests on the plate. Then use a fork to mash in some real butter or yogurt butter. Add little salt and eat the yummy interior and then throw the skin into the compost bucket. I eat quite enough super healthy stuff and I think that I will continue to live well enough if I don't eat a potato skin. Just my personal preference.
Baked potatos are good in that, if you have a hard time eating something like brocolli or spinich all by themselves, you can mix the vegatables into the creamy baked potato part and suddenly those vegatables become delicious.
Eat the skins. Green skins and all. Build up an immunity to it. Then, when you're having to bargain for the life of the woman you love, challenge your foe to eat two green potatoes blindfolded. He will fall over dead, and you will have rescued your true love.
Ive always liked the peeling myself
@BinarySearch@xanga - I love baked potatoes too especially melted cheese and bacon on top!
I usually only eat the skins when I have those potato skin appetizers or chunky mashed potatoes. For the most part, I do not make a point to eat potato skin.
I always eat the skins, as long as they're properly washed. I've always been taught that the skin is the most important part to eat.I remember reading somewhere that the skin contains all the nutrients and the flesh doesn't really contain anything and is thus mostly empty calories. Thats why they say if you want a skinless potato side dish (ie mashed potatoes) you should use sweet potatoes...the flesh contains tons of nutrients and fewer calories.
ilovepotatoskinsperiodheh
I don't really like potatoes but I LOVE the skins. One of my friends though hates the skins but loves potatoes, so once when she had a couple of small potatoes with a herby buttery stuff on them, she sat and ate the potato bit and kept passing me the bits of peeled off skin. Haha
Yes, because when I cook potatoes at home, I'm usually not in the mood to peel them. I just make certain that I wash them well.
@arenadi@xanga - kinda reminds me of the Princess Bride
Yeah, I eat potatoes, skin and all. The skin can sometimes be the best part. Especially if it's red-skinned mashed potatoes.
I don't particularly like potatoes (yes, including fries) in general, but I really don't like the skin.
I eat it sometimes.
You can't have baked potatoes without the skins. It's just wrong! Salt, olive oil, baked in the oven, covered in bacon, cheese and sour cream - perfect!
@written_conversations@xanga - Mmmmm I would like a baked potato right now.
only if they're wrapped in bacon.
Aren't the skins the only nutritive part anyway? Darned if you do, darned if you don'
If the skin is edible and tasty I don't peel it off of any vegetable. I don't ever peel root vegetables, eggplants, and only remove some of the skin of a cucumber, but then I eat those strips with salt so eh. Obviously winter squash, oranges, bananas get peeled.
And that dirty skin thing? I actually like the slight dirt taste of a potato. So I will thoroughly wash all of the potatoes but barely touch one so I can have it.
I am guilty at charge on eating potato skins if it is baked but if it's not I won't eat it.
I love potatoes. Baked, boiled, fried. Anyway it's made.
I've always eaten the skin, never thought that it could be dangerous if taken lightly. Thanks for the fun fact!
i love potatoe skins! all kinds of potatoes with sourcream, cheese and bacon!
This is actually very interesting because I make it a point to order potato skins as appetizers in restaurants. I guess it's safe as long as it's in moderation, huh?