Potatoes are the answer to New Year’s diets

As you start to recover from the over indulgence of Christmas and try to make those New Year's resolutions stick, you'll be glad to hear there is one food you don't have to steer clear of if you want to eat more healthily.

Potatoes are naturally fat free unlike other forms of carbohydrates, so are perfect for keeping the energy levels up while watching the calories.

You will also feel fuller for longer if you include potatoes in your diet as the complex carbohydrate they contain takes longer to break down. This means you're less likely to snack and will keep to your plan.

While watching your weight it is also important to keep your immune system healthy and potatoes really help to boost your nutrient intake as they are packed with vitamins and minerals.

Top potato facts:

• Potatoes contain less than 1% fat - that's less than rice or pasta!
• New potatoes containing just 26kcal per potato
• A jacket potato contains 13 times more vitamin C than a portion of carrots, three times that in an apple, and one and a half times more than a portion of cabbage!
• There is more iron in a serving of new potatoes than in a portion of steamed spinach or a pint of Guinness
• There is more fibre in a jacket potato than a bowl of bran flakes
• 15% of the nation's vitamin C comes from potatoes

The beauty of potatoes is that they can be used in so many ways, from boiling or mashing, right through to stir fries, soups, salads and salsas.

Why not try a jacket potato with chicken stir-fry, sausage and potato casserole, or layered tuna and potato salad? For loads more healthy meal ideas, which can be made in minutes, visit our recipe section.

For further details on the benefits of eating potatoes, how to cook potatoesthem and which variety to choose visit our information section.

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