Current:Home > reviewsIs potato salad healthy? Not exactly. Here's how to make it better for you. -Capitatum
Is potato salad healthy? Not exactly. Here's how to make it better for you.
View
Date:2025-04-12 14:19:22
Few foods are more popular at a summer barbecue than potato salad. As a staple alongside watermelon, hot dogs, burgers, pasta salad, and chips in picnic and BBQ settings, "potato salad is a summer favorite because it is refreshing, easy to prepare and versatile," says Amy Goodson, a nutritionist and registered dietitian at The Sports Nutrition Playbook.
While many people tend to think of the side dish as being healthier than it actually is, she explains, potato salad still contains several healthy ingredients that can make it part of a healthy diet, when consumed in moderation.
What is potato salad?
Potato salad is a side dish that's made using boiled potatoes and condiments such as mayonnaise and mustard. It also usually contains a variety of other ingredients that often include hard-boiled eggs and raw vegetables such as celery, pickles, and onions. "It may also contain bacon, salt, fresh or dried herbs and vinegar," says LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietician and nutrition consultant based in Los Angeles.
It's a dish that's especially popular in summer months, "because its ingredients are abundant in the warm months of the year," says Goodson. People also like that "it can be made ahead of time and served right out of the refrigerator, making it ideal for picnics and barbeques," adds Weintraub.
Is potato salad healthy?
While the starchiness of the dish and some unhealthy ingredients prevent potato salad from being considered a "health food," its egg and vegetable content certainly provide several health benefits.
Onions, for instance, contain antioxidants that lower one's risk of heart disease; and celery contains vitamin K and dietary fiber, which aid with digestion and blood sugar regulation. Eggs offer plenty of protein, omega-3s and vitamin D as well; and the potatoes abundant in potato salad are also a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C "and are a good source of potassium," says Caroline Susie, a registered dietician and national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Potassium is important for heart, bone, and muscle health and may also reduce one's risk of stroke.
While such nutrients are certainly plusses, "potato salad is not known for containing important nutrients that most people are already lacking," says Weintraub. She says the dish also contains "a significant amount of calories and fat," which is primarily due to its mayonnaise content. "Potato salad made with mayo may have as much as 300-400 calories per cup," she says.
What are the harms of eating too much potato salad?
Because of this, potato salad "can contribute to weight gain and other health issues if consumed in excess," says Goodson. She also warns against including a lot of bacon as an ingredient in the side dish as it "adds saturated fat and sodium, which can increase the risk of heart disease when consumed regularly." Ditto for excessive salt, which she says "can contribute to high blood pressure and other health concerns."
To get around this, Susie suggests swapping out mayo for Greek yogurt. "This lowers your saturated fat intake while bumping up protein," she explains. She says potato salad can also be made healthier by "sneaking in more veggies like radishes for added crunch and bell peppers for flavor and color."
If you don't love the taste of Greek yogurt in your potato salad, Goodson says you can get closer to the traditional version by combining Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, or by opting for reduced-fat mayo and increasing the amount of mustard used instead. She adds that some people also choose to "replace some or all of the potatoes with cauliflower, to lower carb and calorie content."
It's also important not to eat potato salad that's been left out for too long. "Bacteria grow rapidly at high temperatures, which is why picnic foods like potato salad that are left out for more than two hours can cause foodborne illness," says Weintraub. To avoid this, Goodson advises storing potato salad in the refrigerator until it's time to serve, "and when serving the dish outside, keep it in a cooler or on ice to maintain a safe temperature."
veryGood! (92114)
Related
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- This Weekend Only: 40% Off Large Jar Yankee Candles! Shop Pumpkin Spice, Pink Sands & More Scents for $18
- Why Britney Spears Will Likely Still Pay Child Support to Ex Kevin Federline After Jayden's 18th Birthday
- Best Nordstrom Rack’s Clearance Sale Deals Under $50 - Free People, Sorel, Levi's & More, Starting at $9
- Kourtney Kardashian Cradles 9-Month-Old Son Rocky in New Photo
- Pennsylvania mail-in ballots with flawed dates on envelopes can be thrown out, court rules
- Indianapolis man gets 60 years for a road rage shooting that killed a man
- Massachusetts police recruit dies after a medical crisis during training exercise
- Blake Lively’s Inner Circle Shares Rare Insight on Her Life as a Mom to 4 Kids
- Is it worth it? 10 questions athletes should consider if they play on a travel team
Ranking
- 9/11 hearings at Guantanamo Bay in upheaval after surprise order by US defense chief
- California pair convicted in Chinese birth tourism scheme
- Retired Oklahoma Catholic bishop Edward Slattery dies at 84
- An emotional week for the Dolphins ends with Tua Tagovailoa concussed and his future unclear
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- Fast-moving fire roars through Philadelphia warehouse
- North Carolina absentee ballots release, delayed by RFK Jr. ruling, to begin late next week
- Canadian man admits shootings that damaged electrical substations in the Dakotas
Recommendation
Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home
Keep Up With All the Exciting Developments in Dream Kardashian’s World
WNBA legend Diana Taurasi not done yet after Phoenix Mercury hint at retirement
Proof Meryl Streep and Martin Short Will Be Closer Than Ever at the 2024 Emmys
Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
Congo court sentences 3 Americans and 34 others to death on coup charges
Are California prisons stiffing inmates on $200 release payments? Lawsuit says they are
What exactly is soy lecithin? This food additive is more common than you might think.