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	Dr Minh Nguyen

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A Potato May Be Just a Spud, But Whatta Food!

February is Potato Lover’s Month and also Hot Breakfast Month—a marriage made in heaven some would claim. A hot breakfast is an excellent way to start your day. A nourishing breakfast prepares your brain and body for school, work, play, or any number of activities on your daily schedule. You can concentrate better and be more productive when your stomach isn’t complaining to the world.

“But wait!” you say, “Aren’t potatoes fattening?” No, they are not; it’s what you pile on top of that potato that adds to your love handles.

“But wait!” you say again, “Doesn’t cooking the potato add trans fat to my body?” No, not if you avoid cooking oils that contain trans fat.

Yes, of late we have all heard the bad news about how unhealthy trans fat is and the trouble it has already caused. The statistics are staggering: two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Approximately 123 million people have coronary heart disease, and 500 million people die each year from coronary heart disease. Trans fat not only increases the “bad cholesterol,” but it decreases the “good cholesterol”—a double whammy!

If those two issues aren’t concern enough, consider this: Trans fat causes a person’s weight to shift. This means that someone whose diet is heavy in trans fat will likely have a “spare tire” instead of six-pack abs.

The bad news gets even worse. Trans fat has been associated with the development of Type 2 diabetes according to a 2006 study performed at the University of Alberta, Canada. In August 2006, the Archives of Neurology reported that trans fat combined with a copper-rich diet may have a direct connection to Alzheimer’s disease.

Whoa! Let’s stop this runaway horse!

To help consumers better educate themselves and make healthy food choices, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services required all food labels by January 2006 to include the amount of trans fat in the food. By choosing healthier foods, the Food and Drug Administration hopes the medical costs and the cost of lost productivity on the job will decrease by nearly 2 billion dollars.

For consumers, the trick is to substitute monosaturated fats such as those found in peanuts, avocados and olives and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and fish for saturated fats. Thus, oils such as peanut oil, olive oil, corn oil and canola are healthier choices than vegetable oils, margarine and butter, etc.

The news gets better

In December 2006, New York City banned trans fat in restaurants and in all foods by July 2008. Recent news reports announced that fast-food giants Frito-Lay and Taco Bell (Pepsico companies) and restaurants such as Wendy’s, Chilis, Ruby Tuesday and Kentucky Fried Chicken either have already removed trans fat from their cooking processes or will remove them in the immediate future.

All this talk about food is making me hungry!

Potato Back to that spud. The potato has been an integral part of the human diet since the 5th century BC. Not only did the Incas eat potatoes, they worshiped the potato. Potatoes were buried with their dead.

In 1565, Spanish explorer Gonzalo Jiminez de Quesada was disappointed that he didn’t find gold in South America; so he took potatoes back to Spain with him.

The potato was brought to the U.S. in the 1600s. Although grown throughout the nation, Idaho has come to be known as the Potato State.

Some claim that the potato is the world’s most perfect food. It’s hard to argue with that statement when you know how nutritious the potato is. The potato contains most of the vitamins needed to sustain life. Potatoes are so rich in nutrients that one acre of potatoes would feed and sustain ten people. This wonderful tuber is—

Fat free and cholesterol free
High in vitamin C and potassium
A good source of vitamin B and fiber

Pop quiz: Which of these foods is highest in potassium and vitamin C: apples, bananas, onions or potatoes. Right! The potato!

Potatoes and healthy teeth

Keep in mind that the potato is a complex carbohydrate. That means that its carbs are converted to sugar, and we all know by now that sugar and healthy teeth are a mismatch. After eating that potato as part of your delicious, healthy breakfast, be sure to brush those pearly whites to keep them clean and healthy. In the mouth, sugar coats the teeth and is eaten by bacteria that in turn produce an acid that attacks teeth and causes tooth decay—and worse if the decay is left untreated or the person has poor oral healthcare habits. Let’s just not go there; the picture is not pretty.

The potato is an excellent choice to add nutrition, variety and interest to the breakfast table. Keeping that in mind that we want to reduce the amount of trans fat (or eliminate it altogether) in our diet, the following recipes have been slimmed down to help us along our dietary journey.

Apple Potato Pancakes

1¼c unpeeled, finely chopped crisp apples
1c peeled, grated potatoes
¼c chopped dried cranberries
½c unsweetened applesauce
½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
½c all-purpose flour
¼c egg substitute
1 tsp salt
additional applesauce or sliced apples
1 can of low-fat whipped cream

Preheat oven to 475º. Spray baking sheet with canola oil. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Spray nonstick skillet with canola oil; heat until hot (spritz skillet with a few drops of water; droplets will “dance”). Adjust heat to maintain temperature. Dip a ¼ c measuring cup into the batter and pour into the skillet. Use the flat bottom of the cup to spread batter evenly. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Uncooked portion of pancake will bubble. Place pancakes on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes or until pancakes are crisp. To serve, place two pancakes on each plate and top with applesauce or sliced apples and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Seafarer’s Breakfast

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large potatoes, baked, cooled and large diced with skin left on
3 green onions, chopped, including tops
½ tsp minced garlic (not powdered)
1c egg substitute
salt and black pepper to taste
a few drops of hot pepper sauce (optional—substitute for black pepper)
¼c shredded low-fat Cheddar or pepper-jack cheese (optional)

Add olive oil to skillet and heat until hot. Carefully add the potatoes to the hot pan. Cook until potatoes have a brown, crisp edge. Add onions and garlic to skillet. Stir to combine. Pour egg substitute over mixture in skillet. Add salt and pepper (or hot pepper sauce) to taste. Using a fork, stir egg mixture and break up into bite-sized pieces as the egg covers and adheres to the potatoes. Remove from pan as soon as the eggs are set and slightly glossy. For extra zip, serve with additional hot pepper sauce in which to dip egg and potato mixture!

Brunch Potato Casserole

6 medium baking potatoes
1 16-oz pkg cooked appetizer sausages
5 eggs or 1¼c egg substitute
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried dill weed
1 diced red or green bell pepper (optional)
dash of pepper or few drops of hot pepper sauce
1 can cream soup (mushroom, chicken, cheese or cheese and broccoli)
1c shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese

This recipe can be prepared the day before it is needed. Cover and refrigerate.

Potato Casserole Cook potatoes in their skins in a saucepan of water until the potato can be easily pierced with a fork. Pour off hot water and add cold water to cool the potatoes. Drain water; wait until potatoes are completely cool. Remove potato skin and slice potatoes ½ inch thick. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish or pan with canola oil. Place a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Cut sausages in half (you will have two approx. ¾ inch pieces) and layer over the potatoes. Continue layering. Layer the cheese last. Combine the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour over the potato mixture. Bake uncovered in a 375º oven for 30-35 minutes. Insert a clean knife into the center to check for doneness. Knife should come out clean.

This can be used as a basic recipe to add and subtract your favorite soups, cheeses, veggies and spices. Don’t want sausages?— try adding cooked, peeled and chopped shrimp or lump crabmeat (imitation or real) or diced ham. Add a little chopped cilantro?