Luscious mashed potatoes are an important winter feast that everyone likes, from kids to adults. However, there’s a common myth that white potatoes are not healthy, like all the other white foods due to being high in starch and carbohydrates. But at the same time, many people have mashed potatoes on a low-fat diet so how can both of these facts co-exist?
So today, we are going to debunk whether mashed potatoes are healthy or not. If so, what’s the right, healthy amount you should consume to stay on the safe side? Let’s begin!
Nutrient content of mashed potatoes
No doubt that mashed potatoes are full of starch and carbohydrates. Due to this very reason, most of the calories per serving are also contributed by this carbohydrate portion. Other nutrients and their corresponding quantities in 100g mashed potatoes are as follows
| Total fat | 2.8 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 grams |
| Sodium | 306 milligrams |
| Potassium | 286 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 15 grams |
| Protein | 1.7 grams |
A total of 88 calories is present in a 100g serving of mashed potatoes whereas the daily calorie requirement for an average-sized human body is 2000. It’s also important to mention that 0.6g of total fat consists of saturated fats whereas only 0.1g consists of unsaturated fat.
Similarly, 0.5g of total carbohydrates comprise sugar whereas 1.3g consists of dietary fibers. Considering this nutrient content, we can say that eating 100g of mashed potatoes a day is not at all healthy since not any component is present in more than the required limit – even sodium portion makes up only 12% of the daily requirement.
Besides these nutrients, mashed potatoes also deliver Vitamin B6, iron, calcium, magnesium, and cobalamin which make up 5%, 1%, 1%, 5%, and 1% of the daily requirement. Whereas, it doesn’t contain calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin D at all.
Health benefits of eating mashed potatoes
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Wonders of vitamin portion
Mashed potatoes possess a good amount of vitamin B6 and vitamin A. Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant and helps with aging by strengthening your overall immunity, eye health, and normal body functioning.
On the other hand, vitamin B boosts neurological health, regulates metabolism and ATP formation, and suppresses the odds of Parkinson’s disease. Besides vitamins A and B, mashed potatoes also contain vitamin K which makes up for 6% of the daily intake requirement. This, in turn, helps wounds heal faster, by improving the rate of blood clotting. Also, Vitamin K supports your skeleton system, by strengthening the bones.
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Wonders of fat and mineral portion
As stated before, most of the calories are contributed by the fat portion but since, but it’s not even 20% of the total calorie intake. Since dietary fibers are indigestible, they make you feel full. At the same time, it regulates your digestion, suppresses bowel movements, and reduces the chances of colon diseases.
On the other side, minerals, like electrolyte potassium and sodium also help balance the plasma and body fluids.
So are mashed potatoes healthy?
Considering the nutrient facts of mashed potatoes, there’s no reason to quit soothing your taste buds with mashed potatoes. Just make sure you are getting the right serving size otherwise it might cause obesity.
Similarly, the sodium content may rise when mashed potatoes are eaten with beef or other steaks which may induce high blood pressure. So, if you are already suffering from this problem, you better eat mashed potatoes without any other food items. To stay on the safe side, it’s better to eat only one cup (210 grams) of mashed potatoes a day.