Garlic Mashed Potatoes Nutrition

Garlic mashed potatoes are a highly nutritious dish and they are easy to prepare. This flavorful side dish contains valuable vitamins. It contains minerals and fiber and it is a good source of carbohydrates. To reap the nutritional benefits of garlic mashed potatoes, simply boil three peeled potatoes and a clove or two of peeled garlic in a pot of water, drain the water when done, mash the garlic and potatoes and whip them into a creamy consistency. Add butter and milk to the mashed potatoes if you desire, but these ingredients are optional.

Facts

People living in America eat 250 million lb. of garlic a year. Garlic thins the blood, but its ability to do so is reduced if it is overcooked or microwaved. Crushing garlic releases substances that are beneficial to health. Garlic contains no sodium. Potatoes contain a small amount of sodium and they contain protein. Potatoes are low in calories. Garlic and potatoes are fat- and cholesterol-free.

History

Garlic has a history of being used as a cure for illness. It was also used in the past to embalm the dead and drive away evil entities.

Seven thousand years have passed since the birth of the potato in the Andes Mountains of South America. North Americans first encountered the potato when the Irish brought it over in the 1700s. Potatoes have been one of the chief foods consumed by Americans for more than 300 years.

Types

Garlic comes in many varieties, about 300 worldwide. Some varieties of garlic are American garlic, Chileno garlic, green garlic, elephant garlic and Italian garlic.

Types of potatoes consumed most often are the russet potato, the round white potato and the red potato. The Idaho potato is often used as a baking potato.

Features

The outer covering on American garlic is white. American garlic is powerful in taste. Chileno garlic is red in color with a distinct flavor. Elephant garlic is larger than the other types of garlic and it has a subtle flavor. It is in the leek family. Green garlic is immature garlic. Italian garlic is mild tasting and its color is mauve.

All potatoes have an outer skin that may be consumed or peeled off and discarded, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends consuming potatoes with the skin intact since the skin contains the majority of nutrients. Russet and Idaho potatoes have a brown skin, while the round white potato has a light tan skin. Red potatoes, of course, have a red skin and the skin on the sweet potato is orange.

Benefits

Garlic contains beneficial vitamin C and many of the B vitamins. It is also a source of folate and beta-carotene. The minerals garlic contains include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and potassium. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, garlic contains a high amount of thiosulfinates, a substance that may protect the heart by decreasing blood pressure and busting up groups of blood platelets.

Potatoes contain healthy vitamin C, most of the B vitamins and folate. Potatoes are also a source of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. The United States Department of Agriculture states certain types of potatoes contain phytochemicals that are believed to be good for your health since phytochemicals combat free radicals.