Like many foods, potatoes have had their ups and downs in the media.  The truth is potatoes are actually a very healthy food.  The average medium baked potato (2.25″ – 3.25″ in diameter) is 161 Calories with 2 Calories from fat, 4.3g protein, 5.7g fiber, and a slew of great vitamins and minerals like Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C.

What makes potatoes unhealthy is the way they’re prepared.

A medium order of fast- food french fries is packed with about 360 Calories, 180 Calories from fat (that’s half of the calories from fat from an unknown source) and 590mg of sodium.  Another unhealthy way to make them is to top them with a mound of full-fat sour cream, a chunk of butter, heaps of bacon bits, and a pile of cheese.  Get the picture?

This is a healthy, easy dish that can be eaten with any protein or alone as a vegetarian meal.  Because it’s done in the microwave it’s super fast.  It also preserves the vitamins in the vegetables because they don’t cook long.

If you haven’t cooked a potato or two in your microwave, it’s a good idea to do that first to see how long it takes.  Once you know the timing for a potato you can confidently add the greens 3-5 minutes before the finish.

Potato Side Dish in the Microwave

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 15-20 min depending on the intensity of your microwave  

Serves:

 

Ingredients:

3 small potatoes

1.5 cups of broccoli or asparagus or Brussels sprouts

 

To season the potatoes:

1/4 cup Chives

2 Tbsp 2% Plain Greek Yogurt (you can really use as much of this as you like)

 

To season the greens:

1/2 tsp sea salt

or 4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

or balsamic vinegar

or low-cal vinaigrette salad dressing

 

Directions:

  • Wash potatoes and broccoli
  • Cut out divots from the potatoes and cut woody stems off the broccoli
  • Cut slits in the potatoes with a knife (to prevent explosion in the microwave)
  • Place potatoes on microwaveable plate and cover the bottom with water (for potatoes to absorb while cooking)
  • Microwave potatoes on “high” for 10 minutes, depending on the intensity of the microwave. (knife should slide semi-easily into the top)
  • Flip potatoes over, place the broccoli on the plate and add a little more water.
  • Cook 3-5 more minutes on “high” until broccoli turns bright green and both are finished.

Nutrition Information per Serving * / Percent Daily Value
Calories 324 
Calories from fat 6

Total Fat 1.1g / 2% 
Saturated Fat 0.5g / 3% 
Trans Fat 0.0g 
Cholesterol 2mg /1% 
Sodium 50mg / 2% 
Total Carbohydrates 58.8g / 20% 
Dietary Fiber 5.7g / 23% 
Sugars 4.2g 
Protein 11.0g

Vitamin A 33%

Vitamin C 124%

Iron 18%

 

Low in saturated fat

Very low in cholesterol

Very low in sodium

High in potassium

 

* includes 2 tbsp 2% yogurt, does not include added salt

* % Daily Values are based on 2,000 Cal diet

* Nutrition information computed at caloriecount.about.comRelated Posts: Easy, Healthy, Delicious – Asparagus Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes, Mushrooms and Dark Greens