Mashed potatoes are a common side dish with many meals served today. Whether they are homemade or eaten in a restaurant, the nutrition and calorie content should be taken into consideration.A standard, homemade mashed potatoes serving of about one-half cup includes:
- about 119 calories,
- three grams of fat,
- 26.5 grams of carbohydrates and
- 3.6 grams of protein.
So, for the most part, that’s not the devilish “bad” food that it is said to be. Unless you are on a low carb diet. Potatoes in any form will always be high in carbs. If you’re trying to lose weight, carbohydrates are not your friend!
Other points about mashed potatoes that are important considerations when dieting include the content of other vitamins and minerals. Mashed potatoes also contain:
- potassium and fiber, both of which are important to one’s overall health.
- There is no sugar found in mashed potatoes, unless it is added to the recipe.
- In addition, mashed potatoes contain about 24% of the recommended daily amount of both Vitamin C and Vitamin B6 as well as traces of many more vitamins and minerals essential to good health.
While potatoes are usually the first comfort food to be eliminated when one is dieting, it is not always necessary. Potatoes can be used and are used to help fuel the body with the carbohydrates that they contain. The potato itself is not the enemy food. Generally, the toppings added to the mashed potato create the higher calorie content which needs to be avoided. Toppings such as butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese and bacon add hundreds of calories and fat to the otherwise somewhat healthy mashed potato dish. Other than the carbohydrate content of the potato, it is possible to enjoy mashed potatoes without adding hundreds of calories to your daily intake.
Because of the carbohydrate levels in mashed potatoes, it isn’t possible to avoid the negative side altogether. But if carbohydrates are not on the watch list for you, enjoying mashed potatoes with spices or low calorie butter alternatives make it a great comfort food as well as an enjoyable side dish with the meal.
There are low calorie options for the toppings as well as low calorie preparation methods that make them more healthy (healthy mashed potatoes). As with any food, how it is prepared and how it is topped generally are the deciding factor as to the calorie content and nutritional benefits of a food.
