Creamy Prebiotic Potato Salad Recipe (Simple, Easy) (2024)

FAQs

Is potato salad good for your gut? ›

You May Improve Your Gut Health

Whole potatoes contain resistant starch, which gets fermented by bacteria in your colon. That means that spuds are considered a prebiotic, so they feed the "good" bacteria in your gut, according to 2019 research in the American Journal of Potato Research.

The skin on a potato adds a nice texture and flavor to the potato salad and it's also the healthiest part.

That's because some of the potato starch becomes resistant starch when cooled, and that makes it a prebiotic, meaning it can nourish important bacteria in your gut. That's right, you have trillions of microbes to feed in your colon that, in return, perform vital functions to keep you healthy.

Cooked potatoes of all varieties are examples of easy to digest foods. Sweet potatoes are especially gentle on the digestive tract because they are mostly made up of insoluble fiber, which speeds up digestion and promotes regularity.

Always cut up the potatoes into a dice before boiling them. If you boil the potatoes whole, the exterior of the potato will get too soft and crumbly before the interior has a chance to cook through. Best potatoes for potato salad? Russet, Yukon Gold, or red potatoes (new potatoes) are all excellent for potato salad.

Research suggests that potassium could have an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Since potatoes are high in potassium, this further suggests that potatoes do not increase inflammation.

But the truth is, mayonnaise isn't your main concern when it comes to spoilage. The actual culprit is the potatoes. Yes, it's true! The humble, reliable potato is a hotbed for bacterial growth if improperly stored after cooking.

Drop a whole russet into the pot and by the time the outside has cooked through, the inside will still be raw. Larger potatoes should be cubed to ensure they cook evenly (peeled first if desired). Smaller potatoes tend to have thin skins and can be boiled whole, no peeling required.

Should you rinse potatoes in cold water after boiling for potato salad? ›

Rinsing potatoes helps remove excess starch, so it is recommended to rinse the potatoes before cooking. To ensure even more starch is out of the way, it's recommended that they even be quickly rinsed after boiling. We recommend using hot water for rinsing after boiling and cold water prior to boiling.

→ Follow this tip: The key to a well-seasoned potato salad is adding salt to the water when the potatoes cook. The potatoes will absorb some of the salt, thoroughly seasoning them from the inside out, and making them more flavorful. Also, taste as you mix the salad together and season again if necessary.

According to Boyers, the starch in potatoes is resistant to digestion, which means it travels to your large intestine and acts as a probiotic, AKA food source for your essential gut bacteria. It also helps create fatty acids that protect the gut lining and prevent harmful substances from leaking into the bloodstream.

The following foods are great options for improving your digestive health: Vegetables: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, arugula, carrots, kale, beetroot, Swiss chard, spinach, ginger, mushrooms, and zucchini. Roots and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, squash, and turnips.

When boiled or roasted, sweet potatoes have a creamy texture that make them easy to put down. But the reason sweet potatoes will play nicely with your stomach is simple: It's a fast-digesting carbohydrate. Potatoes, both regular and sweet, do contain fiber, but a lot of that is in the skin.