Potatoes are a beloved staple in the British diet, but they get a bad reputation for being carb-heavy and fatty, especially when fried or loaded with butter, cheese and salt.
According to a 2025 survey commissioned by Jamie Oliver, the nation’s favourite way to eat this starchy root vegetable is as a good ol’ roastie that is crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle.
Also high up on the top ways Britons enjoy potatoes are: mashed, chips, jacket potatoes, and hash browns.
But many of these cooking methods involve plenty of fat, such as deep frying chips or adding lots of butter and milk to mashed potatoes, lending the spud its unhealthy reputation.
However, while the white variety doesn’t count toward your five-a-day (sweet potatoes do, though), the humble potato is healthier than you think. So, it’s an affordable and nutrient-rich root vegetable to feel good about.
The health benefits of potatoes
Potatoes have plenty of nutritional benefits that make them a healthy and cheap staple. (Getty Images)
1. Rich in vitamin C
Potatoes are an important source of vitamin C, with multiple studies showing they are rich in the antioxidant.
Much of this vitamin C is found in potato skins, so in order to obtain the most benefit, scientists recommend eating the whole potato, skin and all.
2. Full of fibre
Another reason to eat potato with the skin on is to get more fibre into your diet.
According to the NHS, a jacket potato with the skin on can provide you with 4.7g of fibre – around 15% of the daily recommended average 30g of fibre for adults. Most adults don’t eat enough fibre, averaging at about 20g per day.
3. Contains all essential amino acids
A white potato contains all the essential amino acids that your body needs to function, including building proteins, fixing cells and helping your immune system combat diseases.
This characteristic is how many poor people in rural Ireland survived through the 1800s when they could afford little sustenance, with historical figures estimating that the tubers dominated the diets of at least two-thirds of the population.
While it’s not recommended that anyone try to live off a diet of potatoes alone, as this would lead to mineral deficiencies, nutritious spuds can be eaten as part of a healthy and balanced diet.
Potatoes have vitamin C and potassium, both of which are crucial for maintaining good bodily function. (Getty Images)
4. Low in calories
Contrary to its association with calorific meals and snacks, the potato itself is a relatively low-calorie food. A baked medium-sized potato with the skin on has just over 160 calories, and when eaten plain, is devoid of fat, cholesterol or sodium.
The problem is that eating a plain potato is an unappealing choice to many. But, the NHS states that potatoes can be a healthy choice “when boiled, baked, mashed or roasted with only a small amount of fat or oil and no added salt”.
5. High in potassium
Potatoes are a great source of potassium, usually containing 37% of the daily amount women need each day and 28% of what men need.
Potassium is important to maintain good heart health, with research published in the European Heart Journal showing that people who had the most potassium in their diet were 13% less likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke compared to those who had the least.
How to eat healthy and delicious potatoes
Potatoes are relatively low-calorie, so using low-fat ingredients with them can help keep the calories down. (Getty Images)
Choose how you cook your spuds wisely
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but eating potatoes that have been fried in oil and seasoned with lots of salt, such as chips and crisps, is the unhealthiest way to eat them and should only be an occasional indulgence.
But that doesn’t mean giving up on potatoes. The NHS recommends boiling, roasting, mashing and baking potatoes with very little oil and salt.
If you do use oil to cook your potatoes, use lower-fat or polyunsaturated spreads, or small amounts of unsaturated oils, such as olive or sunflower oil.
Leave the skins on
We already know that eating potatoes with their skins on is a great way to add dietary fibre to our meals.
Luckily, potato skins taste delicious and are extremely easy to cook. A baked jacket potato is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of eating a potato with skins on, and the NHS recommends loading it with reduced-salt and reduced-sugar baked beans to add even more fibre. Other nutritious topping ideas include:
tuna and sweetcorn or cucumber
leftover vegetarian chilli (we love this bean-filled recipe)
Potatoes are a great source of fibre, particularly with their skins on – the NHS recommends eating a baked jacket potato filled with baked beans for a fibre-packed meal. (Getty Images)
Boiled new potatoes with their skins on are also delicious and simple to make. These are great with just a small amount of butter, or with a healthy Greek yoghurt and dill dressing.
Make a low-fat swap
You can still enjoy delicious, creamy mashed potatoes and make them healthier by simply swapping out whole milk or cream for semi-skimmed, 1% fat or skimmed milk.
Use an air fryer
There’s no beating a crisp potato, let’s be honest, but most potatoes cooked this way are deep-fried.
However, air fryers (we love the Ninja variety) are a great alternative and allow you to cook crispy potatoes with a much lower amount of oil compared to cooking them on the stove.
To make crispy air fryer potatoes, simply prepare baby potatoes by halving them – leave the skins on! – and tossing them in a bowl with a small amount of oil and seasonings.
Cook them on high in the air fryer for about 10 minutes, take the basket out to shake them around and then cook them for another 10 minutes. This ensures they will crisp up and cook evenly.
Read more about nutrition: