Baked potatoes: the benefits, harm and recipes

Such a simple product like potatoes is loved all over the world. It is fried with onions, cooked in uniform, crushed a tender mash and added to soups. The number of recipes based on this vegetable is probably impossible to count. However, most experts agree that baked potatoes are the most useful.

Being subjected to such processing, it retains the maximum amount of useful elements and thereby nourishes the human body. Moreover, baked potatoes are even recommended for use in the presence of certain diseases, for example, the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys or the heart.

One of the main advantages of this dish is the fact that its caloric content is rather low - about 80 kcal per 100 grams (although in some sources this figure reaches 109.72 kcal) and 146 kcal with a skin. Such a number of calories is considered the smallest of all potato dishes, so baked potatoes are called diet products.

Indicators of BJU also look good: 100 grams of the product contain 2.69 g of proteins, 2.01 g of fats and 19.91 g of carbohydrates. In general, these figures do not exceed 5% of the daily norm, and baked potatoes are allowed to be consumed even by those who prefer diet food.

Beneficial features.

• Baked potatoes are very useful, in particular, its skin, rich in potassium. In addition, the vegetable contains a significant amount of vitamin C, but its maximum use is possible only with this type of cooking.
• Potato has a low calorie, so it is often used for weight loss. In addition, it is used on a diet prescribed by a doctor after a serious illness. When a vegetable is prepared with olive oil rich in fatty acids, its use only increases. It provides the body with all the necessary nutrients and normalizes alkaline balance.
• The peel of the potato will help with pancreatitis (due to the enveloping action of the tender pulp), will remove the accumulated toxins and will have a beneficial effect on the increased pressure.

• This product is useful for pregnant women as well as for breastfeeding, as it contains folic acid. In addition, there are also elements that are indispensable for the work of the heart. Potassium removes excess fluids from the body and relieves swelling.
• Surprisingly, baked potatoes can cope with depression, because even the usual inhalation of its flavor can create a healing effect.
• Starch contained in the dish helps to normalize the amount of glucose in the body, which is extremely important in type 2 diabetes. Potato fiber is also useful.
• Finally, baked potatoes are perfectly absorbed by the body, without creating a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

The only harm to baked potatoes for the body is the excessive content of starch in the product. This substance is rapidly converted to glucose, which explains the ban on nutritionists dietitians. In addition, starch is not well digested and thus pollutes the digestive system. In this case, even those who do not care about the slim figure will be harmed.

In addition to the above factors, baked potatoes are bad because they can not be used by people suffering from diabetes. Finally, if the tuber is green, it means that enough solanine has accumulated in the peel. By consuming such potatoes, some people may feel nauseous.

However, it is recognized that the starch content in potatoes can still be reduced.This is done as follows: the vegetables are cut into slices and washed several times under cold water. After that, they are laid out to dry, the most convenient way to do it with a paper towel.

We offer you to get acquainted with some of the most popular baked potato recipes.

The fastest cooked baked potatoes are in foil. In fact, this will require only the potato itself and, if desired, butter. Tubers are taken somewhere five or six pieces, and the oil will need no more than 50 grams. Potatoes are better to choose the same size. They are washed, pierced a couple of times with a fork and dried thoroughly.

Each fruit is wrapped in foil and then placed on a baking sheet. Pre-oven must be brought to a temperature of 180 degrees, and when it warms up - put there baking for about 20 minutes. The finished potato is removed and slightly cooled, after which you can remove the foil and brush the tubers with butter.

A great solution would be a peeled potato with a variety of fillings. A kilogram of vegetables is boiled in a uniform in water, where salt is previously poured. When the product is ready, it is removed, slightly dried and cut in half. The peel does not touch, but in the pulp with the help of a spoon the hole of the required size is “dug out”. In it the filling is laid out, which will require from 200 to 400 grams for the whole dish.

As it can be used grated cheese, minced meat, pieces of bacon, bacon, grated eggs or mushrooms. In addition, the fillings are recommended to mix with each other. Filled potatoes are sent to the oven, preheated to 180 degrees. They will stay there until a crisp golden hue appears.

Getting out to nature, a great idea would be to pamper yourself with baked potatoes on coals with bacon. To do this, you need a kilogram of potatoes, 300 grams of fat, salt and spices to taste. Roast vegetables will have to bake in food foil. For this dish is better suited even potatoes of similar size.

Each fruit is washed and cut into two parts, with the peel in place. Fat is cut into plates with a thickness of 0.5-0.7 millimeters. Then it is salted and seasoned with spices. Each potato is laid on a pair of slices of bacon, optionally added more spices and, finally, everything is wrapped in several layers of foil.

It should make a kind of balls that are placed directly on the hot coals. On one side they prepare 10 minutes, then the same on the other side. The readiness of the dish can be determined by piercing the root with a knife or toothpick. The tip should easily go inside. When the dish has cooled a little, you can start tasting it.

Fans of delicious combinations will like potatoes cooked in a Mediterranean style. For cooking, you need to prepare four potatoes, about half a cup of grated cheese, the same amount of sour cream, about a quarter cup of chopped olives and the same amount of green onions. In addition, you will need to take tomatoes, pepper, a quarter cup of salsa, two cloves of garlic and half a cup of black beans.

Do not forget about the spices - usually added salt, cumin, chili, paprika, coriander, etc. Fry the ingredients should be in olive oil. While the oven is heated to 200 degrees, the washed potatoes will need to be pierced several times with a fork, sprinkled with salt, wrapped in foil and removed in heat for an hour.

After a specified time, the vegetables are removed from the oven and left to cool. At this time, tomatoes and garlic are cut into cubes. Garlic is fried in a pan for a couple of minutes, then tomatoes, beans, pepper and other spices are added to it.All together stew for 4 minutes.

A cut is made on each potato, the ready mix is ​​laid out on top and all is sprinkled with grated cheese. Finally, everything is complemented by a pair of tablespoons of sour cream, a tablespoon of salsa, olives and green onions.

On a cold winter day, everyone is sure to enjoy baked potatoes stuffed with cheese. Pre-prepared four tubers, six slices of hard cheese, five pieces of bacon, a quarter of a briquette of butter and a quarter cup of milk. In addition, it is worth cutting some onions (2 tablespoons), prepare the sour cream and the necessary spices. While the oven warms up to 200 degrees, the potatoes are processed in the usual way: they are washed, dried, pierced with a fork and sprinkled with salt.

If desired, they can be greased with butter. In the oven, the vegetables have to stay for one hour. Bacon slices are fried at this time. Potatoes are notched on top so that the flesh can be removed, but the shape remains. The extracted mass is kneaded and mixed with grated cheese, milk, bacon, butter and spices.

The resulting mass is filled with potatoes, and covered with the remaining cheese and meat on top. The fruits are returned to heat for 3 minutes, then sprinkled with onions, decorated with sour cream and served to the table.

The most piquant variation of baked potatoes can be called the one that is complemented by chili pepper, corn and black beans. It is necessary to prepare 8 potatoes, 400 grams of tomatoes and tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of oil, one onion and 4 cloves of garlic. In addition, you will need 400 grams of beans, one and a half cups of corn, a glass of water and 2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce.

Such a specific ingredient as liquid smoke, as well as one and a half tablespoons of brown sugar and spices: chili, pepper, cumin, cinnamon and salt will be needed. The finished dish can be supplemented with grated cheese, ripe avocado, sour cream, lime juice and various greens. The dish will be cooked for about an hour and a half.

The oven warms up to 190 degrees, the potatoes are baked for 50 minutes, before being pierced with a fork and wrapped in foil. At this time, the beans are cooked over low heat, and the onions, garlic and tomatoes are fried until soft. All the other ingredients along with the beans are stewed for an hour in a large saucepan. The result should be a thick, rich mass.

The finished potato is cut into two parts and laid out on a plate. On top put a tablespoon of the finished mass, sour cream and grated cheese. The dish is sprinkled with lime juice, decorated with avocado slices and fresh greens.

How to cook baked potatoes in the oven, see the next video.