Eating Potatoes for Weight Loss
This may be the craziest fat-burning cooking secret I will ever tell you.
But I’m here to help you lose weight and feel great while eating your favorite foods, including one of the most Forbidden Foods of all.
I know the trick to eating potatoes for fat loss that no other fat loss “expert” knows… because they aren’t a trained chef with 20 years of experience in the kitchen!
As it turns out, all potatoes are not created equal. You’ve seen them at the supermarket, haven’t you? Some are big, some small, some have a thick skin and some have a thin skin. Some have a high starch content, and some a much lower starch content.
The starch content is what impacts the Glycemic Index. Small, baby potatoes have a lower starch content than large, baking potatoes. Because they have a lower starch content, they also have a lower glycemic index. And when you cook them as little as possible, you also decrease the glycemic index. As an added bonus, potato skin is full of fiber!
Here are the crazy cooking secrets I promised you:
- Choose small, baby potatoes only.
- Avoid large, baking potatoes at all costs.
- Steam potatoes only. Do NOT bake, boil, sauté, or mash them.
- Keep potatoes as undercooked as possible.
- Do NOT peel. Keep the skin on and eat the skin.
- If possible, eat potatoes cold rather than hot. For instance make a salad with the fat-burning dressing in my book (page 89). Thanks to a process known as “retrogradation,” the Glycemic Index actually decreases when starch-based ingredients like potatoes are cooked, then chilled. Take advantage of it.
- Add fiber to the potato dish you are preparing with kale, spinach, broccoli, or sunflower seeds.
Gui Alinat
Gui Alinat is a Tampa, Fla.-based American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef, published food writer, and the owner of Artisan Boutique Catering. He is the author of "The Chef's Repertoire," and "Eat More, Burn More." Born, raised and classically trained as a chef on the Mediterranean coast of France, he traveled extensively, working in restaurants around the world. Chef Gui promotes an active lifestyle, sound nutrition, and believes that fresh and tasty food is resolutely compatible with fat loss and bodybuilding alike. He lives in Florida with his wife Carissa and their five children.