There are plenty of ways to use the potato in our kitchen and among the most frequent in my house, are the mashed potatoes and salads that include this vegetable. Both are pleasant preparations that go very well as a garnish, but if we analyze their properties we should prefer the potatoes in salads and not puree.

Lower Glycemic Index

The glycemic index or the speed at which a preparation raises blood glucose depends greatly on the method of cooking and processing that food receives.

Thus, a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, showed that boiled and mashed potatoes (such as mashed potatoes) have a higher glycemic index than those boiled, chilled and unmilled.

And although the glycemic index does not tell us everything, it is important to take it into account if we want to obtain energy progressively and not immediately and in large quantities.

For an athlete or a diabetic, knowing that cooking mashed potatoes provides fast glucose to the body can mean not consuming it before a race or to prevent hyperglycemia, for example.

So, because potatoes in salad have a lower glycemic index than potato puree, it is always advisable to choose the first ones if we want to take care of the metabolism of sudden changes in glucose or have long-term and slower energy in the body.

Sturdy starch

Potatoes naturally possess starch resistant to the digestion of our digestive enzymes, but that resistance disappears with cooking and processing.

However, a study published in Food Chemistry notes that cooking in water renders starch digestible but post-baking cooling or dry cooking (e.g. baking) allows the potatoes to conserve starch resistant or by retro gradation of the starch occasioned By cooling, the potatoes have this starch that is not fully digested by the organism.

Resistant starch has been associated with more satiety and lower intakes, as well as greater fat oxidation and positive changes in the intestinal flora, all of which may favor thinning.

Therefore, choosing potatoes in salads is beneficial if we want to lose weight, because they will be satiated more than pureed and will lower blood glucose.

Other ingredients

If we also contemplate that salads can be accompanied by a large number of vegetables, lean meats, eggs or other healthy ingredients and the mash is often made using butter or cream and condiments nothing else, we will have one more reason why it is preferable to consume potatoes in Salads and not puree.