Pass the potatoes, or take a pass? 以下是专家的建议

如果你说“土豆”，然后说“健康”，有些人可能会说你的想法不成熟.

在最好的情况下, 土豆通常被视为淀粉类蔬菜，缺乏绿叶蔬菜或胡萝卜等饮食摇滚明星的地位. 在最坏的情况下, taters are the basis for all kinds of salty, fatty snacks – and a metaphor for mindless inactivity.

但营养专家说，除了沙发品种，土豆在健康饮食中也占有一席之地. Spoiler alert: Nobody will be offering a free pass to supersize your fries. 但是你可以找到其他的方法在你的节日餐桌上或全年享用它们——特别是如果你注意准备的话.

"的 potato is not something to be feared," said Dr. 艾米丽·约翰斯顿, 他是纽约大学格罗斯曼医学院的研究助理教授. 她研究老年人的糖尿病预防，并研究了土豆及其对健康的影响.

土豆与懒惰的现代联系忽略了它作为世界征服者的历史. Although potatoes were domesticated in South America's Andes at least 5,1000年前, they didn't cross the Atlantic until the 1500s. 它们滋养了饥饿的欧洲，推动了人口激增，导致了工业革命.

Today, potatoes are the most-consumed vegetable in the U.S. – just ahead of the tomato, according to the U.S. 农业部. 如有必要，现在就唱吧, 但是研究这类事情的人说，几乎没有人把它读成“pa-TAH-to”.")

普通白土豆作为不健康食品的名声也与一些事实形成了对比, 约翰斯顿说,.

的y are classified as a starchy vegetable, along with corn and yams. 约翰斯顿说，淀粉是“饮食中重要的组成部分，有时会受到诋毁”. Potatoes are complex carbohydrates, so your body breaks them down slowly, 提供持久的能量.

的 federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans 建议成年人每天至少吃2杯半的蔬菜，每周吃5杯淀粉类蔬菜.

根据美国农业部的数据，a 中等赤褐色烤土豆 has more calories than a cup of raw carrots, kale or corn. But at only 164 calories, it's still a relatively low-calorie food. It's also a good source of vitamin C, 为成年男性提供每日推荐摄入量的16%，为女性提供19%.

普通的土豆不含脂肪, 胆固醇和钠, 约翰斯顿说,, "and we get some good nutrients."

重要的是, it also has lots of potassium (37% of what women need each day, 28%的男性)和大约4克的纤维——大多数美国人没有得到足够的营养, 约翰斯顿说,. 钾对心脏健康很重要，纤维可以帮助提高血液中的胆固醇水平.

那么，问题是什么呢? "It's the fact that hardly anybody eats a plain potato,约翰斯顿说.

烤土豆最后涂上厚厚的黄油和/或酸奶油，撒上培根——这些都是额外卡路里和饱和脂肪的来源, 美国心脏协会建议将其限制在每天13克左右.

About a third of the potatoes grown in the U.S. end up as frozen products – most of them french fries. A large order of fries from one popular fast-food chain has 480 calories, 23 grams of fat and 400 milligrams of sodium. (的 ideal sodium limit per day for an adult, the AHA says, is 1,500 mg.)

人们倾向于把土豆和不健康的食物搭配在一起，这对研究人员来说是个问题, 约翰斯顿说,, leading to conflicting 结论 over the years.

她自己的研究包括 2020年的研究 at Penn State University published in the British Journal of Nutrition. 这是一项涉及50名健康成年人的试验，他们在四周内每天吃一份配菜，配菜由带皮或精制谷物的蒸土豆或烤土豆制成, 比如意大利面, 大米, 蒸粗麦粉或面包. 的n they switched to the other side dish for four weeks.

最后, 与吃精制谷物的参与者相比，吃土豆的参与者的血糖或体重等心脏代谢因素并没有更差, 当他们吃土豆时，他们的纤维和钾摄入量以及整体饮食质量实际上更好.

分别, 一项对二十多项研究的分析发现，吃炸薯条与患高血压和2型糖尿病的风险之间存在明显的联系. 但是, 发现, published in the European Journal of Nutrition in 2018, 指出其他类型的制剂对这两种条件的影响"可忽略不计".

所以，如果你想吃土豆，没有必要取消整个计划. But how you cook potatoes matters.

"Boiling leaches a lot of the nutrients out, so that's one of my least-preferred methods,约翰斯顿说. She also suggests steering clear of potato flakes, which might take away nutrients while adding sodium, 糖或油.

But baking, broiling and steaming work equally well, 她说. 不管你怎么准备, consider leaving the skin on: Although nutrients are found throughout the potato, 她说, about half the fiber is in the skin.

Sweet potatoes and purple potatoes would add different nutrients, 她说, but "there's not a huge difference among white varieties,她说. 纤维含量稍有不同，但“最重要的还是烹饪方法."

约翰斯顿建议用莳萝、牛至或新鲜香葱等香草和香料调味. Instead of salt, try onion powder or garlic powder. Substitute plain reduced-fat yogurt for sour cream.

“前几天晚上我吃了一些，用一点鳄梨油和迷迭香烤过,她说. Extra virgin olive oil is another heart-healthy choice for flavoring, 她说, 与黄油相比, 它节省了大量的饱和脂肪.

对于土豆泥，可以尝试低脂牛奶或不加糖的植物奶来代替浓奶油. 约翰斯顿说，加入花椰菜可以增加纤维含量，降低卡路里. 或者干脆不吃土豆泥. "Maybe do roasted fingerling potatoes or something like that. 的 holiday table looks really nice with those different-colored potatoes."

的 same goes for traditional latkes, a Hanukkah favorite. 它们通常是油炸的，但也可以是烘烤的，甚至是空气油炸的，约翰斯顿说. 一些食谱包括胡萝卜丝或西葫芦，以增加纤维和水分，减少卡路里."

She acknowledges some people might miss a favorite holiday recipe, even if it does go beyond the bounds of ideal nutrition. So for special occasions, another option is to prepare them however you want. “只要按照你喜欢和喜欢的方式来做，尽量少吃一点。."