Want to lose weight? Eat potatoes

By Marie Oser, ecomii
More from ecomii Healthy Living blog

(Photo: Joseph A. Garcia)
(Photo: Joseph A. Garcia)

What's the most popular vegetable in America? If you guessed potato, you are right! Plant foods, the exclusive source of dietary fiber, also provide us with precious vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. And since potatoes are grown throughout the year, they're also a fresh, seasonal and sustainable option for your winter meals.

Unfortunately, potatoes have often been denounced as fattening, and the anti-carb craze of recent years has only added to that undeserved perception.

Weight control is rapidly becoming the major health issue of the 21st century. More than a third of adults in the U.S. are overweight and obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. We know that potatoes are great tasting, inexpensive, and nutritious, but how does this versatile vegetable become part of the solution?

Medical and nutrition experts have long advocated the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Potatoes are root vegetables and complex carbohydrates high in water-absorbing fiber. Therefore eating potatoes makes you feel more satisfied and less hungry and can actually help you to lose weight.

Potatoes are 99.9 percent fat-free, 100 percent cholesterol free, and have the same amount of calories as a large apple. However, potatoes are often drenched in butter or fatty toppings, which is where the over-the-top calories, fat, and cholesterol are added.

Does that mean we should we give up luscious toppings and creamy sauces? Not at all! There is a better way to create the rich texture and creamy flavor normally associated with dairy. The key is to replace animal products with wholesome plant based alternatives that impart these characteristics without heart-heavy cholesterol and saturated fat.

For instance, the recipe for Louisiana Stuffed Potatoes with Cajun 'Cream' Sauce (below) makes a delicious entrée with a richly flavorful sauce. This satisfying dish is easy to make and has 11 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and just 3 grams of fat per serving.


Louisiana Stuffed Potatoes With Cajun Cream Sauce

Pop the potatoes into the oven and whip up the mushroom filling and Cajun sauce while the potatoes bake.

6 Servings

6 Russet potatoes
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1/3 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
6 oz. cremeni mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped black olives
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon tamari
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
dash hot pepper sauce, to taste

Sauce
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 1/3 cups hot vegetable broth
1/3 cup soy milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon dried chives

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Bake potatoes on middle rack 1 hour or until fork-tender.


Mushroom Filling: Heat oil in a 10" frying pan, 1 minute. Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and celery, 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, tomatoes and olives. Cook mixture 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients lower heat to simmer and cover until ready to assemble.


Cajun Sauce: Heat oil, crushed pepper and garlic in a saucepan, over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook while stirring until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth add when thickening add the soy milk, yeast, Bragg Aminos, and chives. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently.


Assembly: Cut an "X" into each potato when cool enough to handle, and press sides gently to open. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of pulp from each potato and add to stuffing mixture. Spoon stuffing into and over potatoes. Serve immediately.

Louisiana Stuffed Potatoes With Cajun 'Cream' Sauce
Nutrition analysis per serving: One stuffed potato with sauce

Protein 11g, Carbohydrate 64g, Fiber 8g, Fat 3g,
Cholesterol 0mg, Calcium 52mg, Sodium 390mg
Calories 320 from protein: 13%, from carbohydrate: 77%, from fat: 9%

Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV, Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv

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