The cold potato: A simple trick for a healthier potato salad

Sunshine health tip

The cold potato

Most of my meals are built around quality protein and plenty of vegetables. But during the summer, every now and then, I still make one of my favourite childhood side dishes: my mum's potato salad.

Food is about nourishment, but it's also about memories, traditions, and sharing meals with the people we love.

These days, I've made a few changes to the recipe. Instead of a traditional dairy-based dressing, I make mine with:

• coconut yogurt
• homemade mayonnaise
• mustard
• fresh parsley and fresh dill
• onion powder
• paprika
• curry powder
• sea salt and black pepper.

I also cook the potatoes ahead of time and let them cool down before making the salad.

For me, it's a lovely reminder that healthier choices don't always mean giving up the foods you love and have sentimental value. Sometimes it's simply about making small adjustments while keeping the traditions that bring you joy.

Why do I cool my potatoes?

When cooked potatoes cool, part of their digestible starch changes into something called resistant starch through a natural process known as starch retrogradation.

Unlike regular starch, resistant starch isn't broken down in the small intestine. Instead, it reaches the large intestine, where it behaves much like fibre.

This simple change may offer several benefits:

• Supports gut health. Resistant starch becomes food for beneficial gut bacteria. As they ferment it, they produce short-chain fatty acids, including butyrate, which helps nourish the cells lining the colon and supports a healthy gut environment.
• May help support steadier blood sugar levels. Because resistant starch isn't digested as quickly, cooled potatoes generally have a lower glycaemic impact than freshly cooked hot potatoes.
• May help keep you feeling fuller for longer. Resistant starch is digested differently from regular starch, which may contribute to greater satiety after a meal.

Making potato salad even more nourishing

A few simple additions can make potato salad an even more balanced meal:

• Pair the potatoes with quality protein
• Include healthy fats such as homemade mayonnaise or extra virgin olive oil.
• Add plenty of fresh herbs for flavour, antioxidants, and micronutrients.
• As the Glucose Goddess often recommends, the order in which we eat our food may also influence our blood sugar response. A simple approach is to start with vegetables, followed by protein and healthy fats, and finish with starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes. More on this in a new blog.

The increase in resistant starch isn't enormous, and it doesn't turn potatoes into a "superfood." But it is a fascinating example of how the way we prepare our food can influence its properties.

For me, that's what healthy eating is all about: making small, thoughtful choices while still enjoying family recipes.

Love, Leonora