(HealthDayNews) -- Potatoes can be a highly nutritious food choice, but their wholesomeness depends on how they're prepared.
A plain 7-ounce potato eaten with the skin provides nearly 50 percent of vitamins C and B6 recommended for adults each day. It's also stacked with potassium, and nearly five grams of fiber, all for 220 calories and zero grams of fat.
To keep potato-based dishes nutritious, the Texas Medical Center suggests these tips:
- Cook them from scratch and leave the skin on.
- Choose low-fat cooking techniques, such as steaming, baking or microwaving.
- Bring the water to a boil before adding potatoes. This preserves vitamin C.
- Limit the fat content of your preparations. For example, use olive oil for potato salad, and top baked potato with fat-free sour cream and low-fat cheese.
