While the Caprese and Niçoise salads play elbows to end up on our plates, some salads seem less healthy than others. This is particularly the case with the potato salad, appreciated by all, but which remains rich in starchy foods and mayonnaise. So should it sulk it or savor it without guilt? Here is what Julie Boët, dietitian-nutritionist thinks, thinks.
A salad … which is not a salad
Great classic summer barbecues, the potato salad nourishes young and old hungry, with fresh herbs, hard eggs, potatoes, red onions and herring (sometimes). On paper therefore, it seems rather balanced. But does she (too) hide her game too much? Yes considers it, Julie Boët, who underlines that this dish is not a salad.
“Let’s start with the essentials: the potato is not a vegetable, but a starchy food, that is to say a source of complex carbohydrates. It brings energy, fibers (especially if you keep the skin), potassium, magnesium, vitamin C and vitamins of group B. This tuber is often poorly perceived, but it is not” bad “: everything is a question of preparation and support. she said.
Indeed, “When you cook the potato and then let it cool, part of its starch turns into a resistant starch, a carbohydrate that our body does not digest like the others. It reduces glycemic impact, thus causing a slower and more moderate increase in blood sugar. continues the nutritionist.
But beware: a potato salad composed only of potatoes and mayonnaise “is unbalanced, because too rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats “, she recognizes.
To transform it into a real health dish, compliance with certain rules is therefore essential.
Potato salad: How to make it healthier?
Of course, there is no question here to overwhelm said mayonnaise salad. Or let the potatoes like guest-star on the plate, forgetting any form of protein, good fats and fibers. The right way to prepare them is correctly “accompany them and season them“, Says the expert. So here is a revisited version.
For a balanced potato salad, plan:
- ½ plate of raw or cooked vegetables (green beans, cherry tomatoes, arugula, red onions, etc.);
- ¼ protein (hard eggs, tuna, grilled chicken, smoked tofu, etc.);
- ¼ starchy foods, here the potatoes (preferably steam cooked with the skin and coolies);
- And a good fat, like a vinaigrette made from olive oil or rapeseed, rich in omega-3 and 9.
It is also important to think of the portion: “A potato salad should not be a mountain of starchy foods, but an element of the meal. Also, be sure to avoid industrial sauces rich in additives and favor home season”, Recalls Julie Boët, dietician-nutritionist.
Potato salad recipe with mackerel (for 2 people)
- 300 g of potatoes (steamed and cooled);
- 200 g cooked green beans;
- 2 hard eggs;
- 1 box of mackerel nets (natural or oil);
- 1/2 minced red onion;
- Roquette or young shoots;
- Chives, sunflower or flax seeds (optional);
- Vinaigrette: 2 rapeseed oil cases, 1 old -fashioned mustard case, 1 cider vinegar case, pepper.
Preparation :
“Mix the potatoes in pieces with the green beans, the cut eggs, the crumbled mackerels, the onion and the arugula. Add the vinaigrette, sprinkle with herbs and seeds, and serve fresh!”, concludes the expert.