Baked Potato Tips

Did you know...

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that you shouldn't wrap your potatoes in foil before baking them? In fact, wrapping them in foil actually steams them versus baking them! For a better result, rub the potatoes lightly with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle them with sea salt.

Another neat trick to speed the baking is to impale the potatoes on a stainless steel skewer. Believe it or not, years ago the common advice was to use an aluminum nail to impale the potatoes and speed baking. Yep, drop by your local harware store before making dinner and pick up a handful of aluminum nails! Ummm...I'm guessing that would be frowned upon today. Use the skewers instead.

But, potatoes are carbs and that's a bad thing right? Well, yes and no.
We certainly need a certain amount of carbohydrates. They fuel all of the
cells in our body. But there are good carbs and bad carbs. The source of the carbs we take in is important.

Bad carbs are "simple" carbs. They are found in refined foods, likes cakes,
candy, and white bread. These simple carbs are termed "bad" because they
contain little nutritional benefit. Additionally, because they are broken
down so quickly in the body, they can actually cause you to feel hungrier faster.

Good carbs are "complex" carbohydrates and are found in fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products. They are termed "good" carbs because they offer more nutritional benefit than simple carbohydrates. Unlike simple carbohydrates, complex carbs contain lots of fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc to help keep your body healthy. These carbs also take longer to digest in your stomach. This may help you feel fuller for longer periods of time. And it may mean that you are less likely to over-indulge on these types of carbs and gain weight.

Back to the baked potato - you can enjoy a baked potato (a "good" carb source) now and again. They are high in vitamin C and potassium as well as vitamin B6. They are an excellent source of fiber as well. But here's the deal - eat the potato but don't drown it in sour cream or some other high fat topping. Use a simple dollop of Earth Balance and a little sea salt and black pepper or try a small amount of vegetarian chili and broccoli. Keep it simple and light and enjoy the potato for what it is - delicious!

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