Potatoes CAN be bad for health and weight loss… But they don’t have to be! Learn more about potatoes and how to prepare them with HEALTH in mind! (Quick, Easy, Healthy Breakfast Potatoes)
One of the number one food-related questions we see is this: “Can you eat potatoes when trying to lose weight?” OF COURSE! By now, you know that on the Nutrifitx System, no food (or food group) is off limits – especially not potatoes! These healthy breakfast potatoes are going to be your new favorite breakfast staple. They’re delicious, nutritious, healthy, and even kid-approved. So, let’s dig into the science and the Nutrifitx philosophy about potatoes.
Potatoes are actually great for your health. They’re high in potassium, contain fiber, and they even have a little protein in them. Plus, this healthy breakfast potato recipe has an added bonus of anti-inflammatory olive oil to make crispy breakfast potatoes that boost your health and metabolism. Bonus: They only take about 30 minutes to make, and 24 of those minutes are oven time. Plenty of time to make (and meal prep) a complete breakfast. (Bonus #2: They only take 10 minutes to reheat!)
Can you eat potatoes when trying to lose weight?
Ab-so-lutely! Yes, yes, yes! We LOVE potatoes. They add a lot of nutritious volume to your food. However, it’s all about the time of day that you eat them, how you prepare them, and the way they’re grown.
So, let’s start with the base: the actual potato. One of the fundamentals of the Nutrifitx System is eating organic foods as much as possible, and making it non-negotiable when it counts. Pesticides and conventional farming practices have been shown to harm to people, animals, and our planet. Plus, some studies and research have shown that pesticide and chemical use can affect hormones in the end consumer. Hormone altering or mimicking foods and body care products can stop and even reverse weight loss progress (among other toxic reactions within the body). These are chemicals that are designed to act as poison that you’re putting into your body. Remember that.
In order for potatoes to be Nutrifitx Approved, they MUST be organic. To learn more about why going organic matters, check out the Nutrifitx System. To learn more about what foods MUST be organic to be Nutrifitx Approved, click here to view the full produce lists. You’ll also want to stick to Yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes or yams, as well. We try to avoid white potatoes, as sometimes they can process like white sugars and flours within the body; plus, Yukons and sweets usually have more nutrition.
What is the best time to eat these Healthy Breakfast Potatoes?
Well, of course they make a great addition to a healthy breakfast; but if you’re on the Nutrifitx System, you know that nutrition isn’t so cut and dry. If you want to know when the best times of the day to eat these delicious and healthy breakfast potatoes are, check out the Nutrifitx Scale above the recipe. (Cross reference your System for more details.)
If potatoes are so good for your health and weight loss, why are traditional hash browns and breakfast potatoes so unhealthy?
Good question! Potatoes themselves are a very health supporting food (given you’re following the research above). But, in our modern day life, potatoes are actually prepared in a way that makes them unhealthy for the body, nor do they support your weight loss goals.
If you think of your favorite breakfast potato, they’re probably fried, right? Well, it’s become inherently known that fried foods are harmful for your health. Not only do they contain high concentrations of oils, but 99% of the time, those oils are unhealthy oils containing far too much saturated fats and sometimes even trans fats.
Even if you fry your potatoes in a clean oil (say, our personal favorite, olive oil, for example), you’re still consuming WAY too much oil at one time. Oil is fat, and fat is the MOST calorie dense (and least filling) nutrient. Fat has 9 calories per gram, whereas carbs and protein have only 4 calories per gram and alcohol has 7 calories per gram. Start adding up tablespoon after tablespoon of oil (and it only takes 4 tablespoons to make a quarter cup), you’ve got yourself QUITE the calorie intake. Even as healthy and good for your body as olive oil is, a quarter cup has about 120 calories.
Now, what’s more is that with fried foods you have batters and grains (grains in the case of potatoes) that actually soak up oil. So you can easily consume a quarter cup or more of oil in a single serving. You’ll have your potato calories, PLUS your oil calories, PLUS the calories for the rest of the meal. You can see how this compounds, right?
And to top it all off… fat isn’t even filling. So you’re eating the highest calorie nutrient possible in high quantities, but it is the least filling of any nutrient you can eat. Wow!
So, should you NEVER eat another fried potato in your life?
Of course not! On the Nutrifitx System, no foods or food groups are off limits! You can certainly enjoy fried potatoes in whatever form you love – it’s about how well you balance those foods with health and weight loss supporting foods. That’s what makes all the difference. If you want to learn more about health and weight loss and how you can enjoy your favorite foods while moving toward your goals, click here to check out the Nutrifitx System!
It all comes down to knowing how to cook potatoes for health and weight loss.
Potatoes ARE healthy! You just have to know how to prepare them. Our healthy breakfast potatoes are great for your body (and your taste buds), because:
- We use organic Yukon gold potatoes are high in vitamin C and iron, and they may help manage blood pressure. What’s more is that one 148 gram (approximately 5.2 ounce) potato contains 110 calories, 26 grams of carbs, 0 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, and 2 grams of fiber. Pairing this with olive oil and other breakfast additions makes them the perfect Nutrifitx Approved Group 1 food.
- We make these potatoes crispy using a bit of olive oil which increases the anti-inflammatory properties and increases the unsaturated fat content. Unsaturated fats are great for balancing hormones as well as brain and organ function.
- We don’t fry our potatoes… we bake them! Baking your potatoes means you can use far less oil. Using less oil not only means your potatoes won’t soak up a much oil, but also that you aren’t consuming nearly the amount of oil as a fried potato or hash brown. Yet, they still come out crispy and delicious.
- No extra oil to keep them from sticking. Many dishes require cooking with a little oil to keep them from sticking. It’s a necessary part of cooking and food prep, but it does add extra calories and fat to your meals. When you’re baking, however, you can eliminate that oil by using parchment paper. Discovering this was a total game changer for us!
NUTRIFITX MEMBERS’ SCALE
Healthy Breakfast Potatoes
The BEST (Easy) Breakfast Potatoes
These delicious, soft-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside breakfast potatoes are your new healthy favorite! Perfect to meal prep for breakfast scrambles, burritos, and sides for breakfast sandwiches. (Plus, they're clean, healthy, and supportive for your weight loss or fitness goals!)
Ingredients
- 32 oz Yukon Gold Potatoes (Organic)
- 1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt, to taste (we recommend Pink Himalayan Salt or Sea Salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Wash and clean potatoes.
- Chop potatoes into small to medium sized squares (see photos) and add to large mixing bowl. (Smaller cunks make crispier potatoes.)
- Drizzle olive oil over potatoes, and stir until potatoes are coated.
- Lightly salt the potatoes, stir again. Repeat if desired.
- Place half of potatoes on each baking sheet in a single, even layer.
- When preheated, place pans in oven on hottest racks (in our oven, it's the middle and bottom rack). With convection: bake for 12 minutes; Without convection: bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove pans from oven, and stir potatoes around, flipping to bake on all sides. Put pans back in oven on opposite racks. With convection: bake 10-12 minutes; Without convection: bake 12-15 minutes. Check potatoes periodically. You're looking for golden brown, lightly crispy edges and corners.
- Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 3-5 minutes. Serve with your favorite breakfast meal. Enjoy!
Notes
Cut potatoes smaller if you want crispier potatoes or if you aren't using a convection setting on the oven. You can also cook these potatoes in an air fryer or using an air fryer pan (if doing so, feel free to cut a medium potato size).
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Nutrition Information
Serving Size 4 oz RawAmount Per Serving Calories 88Total Fat 1.4gSaturated Fat 0.2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1.1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 52.1mgCarbohydrates 17.9gFiber 1.4gSugar 2.1gProtein 2.1g
