Healthy Spuds Are No Duds

It took a famine for the world to realize how important and nutritious potatoes really are. The “apples of the earth,” as the French call them, are now withstanding public floggings from low-carbohydrate extremists and outspoken glycemic index proponents. Potatoes are rarely considered healthy, but that’s because they’re misunderstood.

It’s true that potatoes are a significant source of carbs – one tennis-ball-sized tuber has 15 grams. Baked and served plain, a potato’s glycemic index is high, but that’s a good thing when you want to quickly generate glycogen. A potato with its skin also has three grams of fibre and a little protein. Serve it with salsa and plain yogurt for an awesome post-run recovery snack.

A potato’s glycemic index isn’t always high, though. Serving a starch with protein and fat lowers glycemic index, as does fibre. After a potato is cooked, resistant starch – which works similarly to the cellulose fibre in potato skin – is created as the spud cools. This type of starch, also found in cold beans and corn, averts digestion in the small intestine and gets fermented in the large intestine. The prebiotic fibre is a food source for bacteria, helping healthy bacteria grow and hindering harmful ones, too.

Short-chain fatty acids are byproducts of fermentation. One particular acid, butyrate, protects the colon and becomes a colon cell’s primary energy source. It inhibits growth and proliferation of tumour cells – potentially reducing cancer risk. Resistant starch has also been shown to increase insulin sensitivity in healthy people. Add to this fibre’s usual roles in bowel regularity and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels, and it seems maybe potatoes got a bad rap for something they didn’t do.

On its own, a medium potato has fewer than 100 calories. But potatoes are ever more delicious when they’re crispy fried, smothered in salty creams or served with bacon. Considering what they usually hang around with, the spud is easily construed as a dud. Strip it of its associations and you’ve got a well-rounded carbohydrate.

Hot or cold, a potato gives you a third of your day’s antioxidant vitamin C requirement, and also has about 20 per cent of your vitamin B6 needs, which will be needed to break down glycogen to glucose on your next run. Potassium, magnesium, copper, thiamin and niacin are present in appreciable amounts. You lost potassium in your sweat, you’ll need magnesium for muscle contraction and copper, thiamin and niacin for energy metabolism. Since the vitamins in potatoes are water-soluble, don’t overcook them. Boil them or steam them just until the crunch softens. As for the leftovers, they’re best served cold.

Bobbi Barbarich is a contributing editor at Canadian Running. She lives in Golden, B.C.

RUNNER’S KITCHEN RECIPE

Lean Causa Limeña By Mary Luz Mejia

In Quechua, the ancient language of the Andes, a causa or “kausay” means “necessary sustenance.” This dish hails from Lima, Peru (land of the potato) and offers just that – the kind of sustenance that’s comforting any time of the year. It’s a chilled, layered potato dish that can be dressed up or down depending on your mood, and in this case has been stripped of excess calories. This version is bright and flavourful, and if you want to kick up the heat quotient, just add more of the aji amarillo. I first tasted this dish when I worked and lived in Cusco, Peru and it’s been a favourite of mine ever since. Buen Provecho!

Ingredients

Potato Layer:

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
• 3 tsp chopped, fresh aji amarillo (a spicy yellow pepper you can find in grocery stores – you can substitute the aji for a dried pasilla or Serrano chile to get a similar level of heat)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp corn oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp turmeric

Filling:

• 1 cup tuna, packed in water (or chicken breast if you prefer)
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup finely diced red onion
• ¼ cup finely diced celery
• 2 tbsp light mayonnaise
• Finely chopped, fresh parsley

Garnishes:

• Bibb or other lettuce, a hard-boiled egg and a few of your favourite olives or veggies.

Method

Potatoes:

1.       Cook the potatoes until tender.

2.       If using dried chile- toast it for 1-2 minutes on medium heat in a dry skillet- turning a few times. When cool, slit the chile, remove seeds and ribs and tear into pieces. Place in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for about 10 minutes.

3.       Process the aji (or the soaked chile) with 2 tablespoons of water (if using dried chile – use the water the chile soaked in), turmeric, salt, oil and lime juice in a blender or food processor until well combined.

4.       Run the chile through a fine mesh sieve to avoid having large flakes in your mashed potato- it makes for a prettier presentation.

5.       Mash potatoes until relatively smooth and stir chile mix into potatoes. Set aside for half an hour.

For the Tuna Filling:

1.       Combine all the filling ingredients- taste and adjust seasoning.

Assembling the Causa:

1.       In a Pyrex dish, spread a layer of mashed potato (patting down with your hands to make a smooth layer), add a layer of filling and repeat until you’re done.

2.       Cover with plastic wrap and chill until cold.

Presentation:

Serve on a bed of green lettuce with a slice of hard-boiled egg, an olive or two and your favourite vegetable garnish. I like to serve this with a crisp green salad on the side- it makes a perfect light lunch or dinner.

Serves four

Nutritional Information per Serving

Calories 330

Carbohydrate 50 g

Fat 5 g

Sodium 8 g

Fibre 10 g

Protein 10 g

Mary Luz Mejia is a Toronto-based freelance food writer, food TV producer and food communications professional. You can read her work at www.maryluzmejia.com and learn more about her current endeavours at www.sizzlingcommunications.com.