Five Ways a Baked Potato Provides a Healthier Alternative for Dinner

If the bowl of pasta you ate last night left you feeling bloated and lethargic, it might be time to rethink the way you serve some of your favorite dishes.

In his latest Channel 4 series, Secrets of your big store Dr. Michael Mosley suggests that for those who find pasta problematic, swapping the spaghetti in spaghetti bolognese for a baked potato is gentler on the gut. "For people who find it difficult to digest wheat and gluten, or who have digestive problems," this is a happy solution, advises Natasha Evans, a nutritionist on the show.

But potatoes offer a welcome alternative to more than just refined wheat pasta (whose milling process removes the bran and germ from the wheat for a silky texture, but which results in a lack of fiber which, combined with a naturally high gluten content, can cause abdominal discomfort, even for those of us without intolerance).

In addition to being completely unprocessed, potatoes "are also a healthy form of starchy carbohydrates and an excellent source of energy," he explains. The Telegraph 's nutritionist Sam Rice, making the tubers preferable to many carbohydrate-based foods, including white rice and bread - especially when served in the form of a classic baked pudding.

"Most of the nutrition is in the [potato] hides," says Rice. "One medium potato contains 5 grams of fiber and half of our daily vitamin C needs, so it is nutritionally preferable to leave the skin on. Because smaller potatoes have a higher skin-to-starch ratio, mini baked potatoes and new potatoes are both good choices, and baking rather than boiling retains more vitamins."

Whether you choose a white, floral specimen or a sweet potato with orange flesh, it is purely a matter of taste. "The prevailing 'superfoods' narrative would say that sweet potatoes are better for you than regular potatoes, but they actually have very similar nutritional profiles," says Rice.

"White potatoes contain slightly more potassium, while sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A. Sweet potatoes have a slightly lower GI (the measure of how quickly a particular food raises your blood sugar levels), but this varies widely depending on the variety of sweet potato. and the cooking method. Baked potatoes and regular potatoes indeed have a very similar GI."

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The good news is that there are plenty of delicious ways to swap in a simple baked potato without missing out on your favorite dishes.

Pasta alla Norma → Potato alla Norma

Tomato-based ragus, traditionally served over pasta, can be just as delicious spooned into a fluffy baked potato. Open a baked potato with a crispy skin by tapping it gently with a rolling pin and spoon the sauce over it, allowing it to sink into the flesh. Finish with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and plenty of black pepper.

As Mosley suggests, bolognese is also great dressed up, paired with a salad.

To convert Angela Hartnett's recipe for pasta alla Norma into a potato dish:

• Sprinkle 2 eggplants, cut into 2 cm cubes, with salt and leave them in a colander for 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, fry 3 finely chopped garlic cloves and a pinch of chili flakes in 2 tbsp oil.

• Add a 400g can of plum tomatoes and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until they start to form a thick sauce. Then add 1 teaspoon of drained capers and a dash of white wine vinegar.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in another pan and fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown and done. Each time you add more eggplant, add a little more oil. Remove them when they are ready and let them drain on kitchen paper.

• When all the eggplant is cooked, add it to the tomatoes and cook them together for five minutes.

• Skip the traditional spaghetti accompaniment and instead serve over baked potatoes, with torn basil leaves.

Coconut Shrimp Curry → Coconut Shrimp Jacket

If your favorite curry side dish is white rice and you don't feel like replacing it with more nutritious brown, pairing it with a potassium-rich potato with its skin on is a good way to increase your fiber intake. A plain jacket is the perfect vehicle for a spicy and flavorful option, such as a simple shrimp curry or classic lamb madras.

Likewise, stir-fries like teriyaki chicken or sweet chili pork are also fantastic piled into a potato, rather than noodles.

To transform this coconut-based shrimp curry:

• Cook 3 chopped onions in 6 tablespoons of oil until soft and lightly colored (at least 15 minutes).

• In the meantime, crush or blister 10 peeled cloves of garlic and half a peeled piece of ginger the size of a thumb.

• Once the onions are ready, add the garlic and ginger, along with ½ bunch of coriander stems (finely chopped) and fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

• Add 2 teaspoons paprika powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 2 teaspoons medium chili powder, along with 50 g coconut cream, and break up while stirring.

• Add 2-3 tablespoons of fish sauce and 600 g of raw shrimp and cook until cooked.

• Serve with fried potatoes, garnished with coriander leaves.

Welsh rarebit → Cheesy Welsh pudding

If bread is often the starting point for your meals and snacks, shake up your habit by swapping the white slices from the supermarket for a baked potato rich in vitamin C and potassium. Place your favorite lunchtime sarnie filling of egg mayonnaise, coronation chicken or tuna and sweetcorn into a hot potato, or leave out the pitta the next time you grab a kebab and stuff the spiced lamb cubes and salad in a jacket instead.

You can also treat yourself to the ultimate warming comfort of Welsh rarebit, with a baked potato instead of the bread base:

• Mix a dash of stout with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch for four people.

• Heat 100 ml stout to just below boiling point and then stir in 400 g grated cheese.

• Stir in the cornflour mixture, 300 ml cream, 2 tsp English mustard and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.

• Allow to cool slightly and then beat in 3 large egg yolks.

• Discard the bread base and halve 2-4 baked potatoes instead. Scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1cm skin.

• Mix the meat with the rarebit mixture, spoon it back into the skin and put it back in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Chicken and leek pie → Creamy chicken and leek and jacket potato

The saturated fats and refined white flour used to make pastries, not to mention the emulsifiers, palm oil and preservatives found in many store-bought varieties, mean it's best to leave it alone. to eat occasionally. There's no need to miss out on your favorite fillings, though, as the center of most spicy pies works great on a hot baked potato.

Try it with your usual steak-and-ale number, with spinach and ricotta, or with creamy chicken and leek. Make sure the filling is fully cooked and piping hot before loading it into your pudding.

This is how you make the filling for Angela Hartnett's chicken, leek and tarragon pie:

• Cook 1 finely chopped onion, 1 crushed garlic clove and 2 sliced ​​leeks in 2 tablespoons oil until soft but not coloured.

• Add 600g raw chicken, cut into strips and cover with 200ml chicken stock. Let everything simmer, reduce the liquid by half and then add 100 ml whipped cream.

• Bring to the boil and reduce again by half to form a thick sauce, or until the chicken pieces are done. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon.

• Season well and serve over baked potatoes with a green salad.

Chili Nachos → Chili Fried Wedges

Spuds make a satisfying substitute for corn tortilla chips in a batch of Mexican-style chili nachos, replacing the refined corn, fats and salt in the triangular chips with the fiber-rich properties of fried potato wedges.

To save time, microwave the potatoes two at a time on full power for 10 minutes until soft, then bake them for about 15 minutes to crisp the skin a bit before carefully cutting them into wedges. Spread it out on a baking sheet, spoon over the warm chili, grated cheese and other favorite nacho toppings, then return it to the oven for 10 minutes until melted.

How to make smoky ox cheek and chili for your spuds:

• Fry 900 g floured ox cheeks in 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Remove from the pan and set aside.

• Fry 1 diced onion and 3 crushed garlic cloves in the pan for 3-4 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground cinnamon and dried oregano, along with ½ teaspoon of chili powder, and cook for another minute.

• Add 1 heaping tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for a minute. Then pour in 500 ml beef stock and bring to the boil.

• Return the meat to the pan, cover tightly with a lid and bake in the oven at 160C/140C fan/gas 3 for at least four hours.

• Shred the meat, stir it into the sauce and serve it not on a pile of tortilla chips but on fried potato wedges, topped with grated cheese, salsa, pickled jalapenos and sour cream.