Potatoes often get a bad reputation. When you eat the right potato types and healthily prepare them, they can pack a healthy punch of vitamins and minerals.

Baked potatoes have a rather poor reputation when it comes to diet and weight loss, especially among individuals who are trying to reduce their total carbohydrate intakes. However, you might be surprised to find out just how nutritious a baked potato actually is -- and how well it can fit into your weight loss plan.

The way you cook potatoes for potato salad can make or break this summer classic. Boil them too long and you may get a mushy salad with the texture of mashed potatoes. Skimp on the cooking and your potatoes can turn out as crisp as celery.

Steaming foods involves cooking them with the steam produced when the item is enclosed in a heated container. Cod is a firm, white fish that holds up well to steaming and pairs well with many flavors.

Snacking on a tasty, healthy food after a tough workout is a common method to resupply your body with nutrients and energy. Potatoes are starchy vegetables that provide an abundance of carbohydrates for your muscles to use as fuel.

A boiled potato is a nutritious and low-fat food that can have a place in healthy diet plan. A plain boiled potato provides you with a healthy dose of potassium, fiber and vitamin C, but is also low in calories. Certain toppings can decrease the nutritional value and increase the fat and calorie content significantly.

Meat and potatoes is a traditional combination, and few dishes bring out the best in both ingredients like a good stew. Choosing the right potatoes for stew is the first step to success. Russet potatoes work well for thick, tomato-based stews.

The pancreas is a glandular organ located behind the stomach near the first part of your small intestines. Its role is to secrete enzymes to help you digest food and hormones to help regulate blood sugar.

Boiling your potatoes before you toss then into the oven helps the pieces develop a crispy outside coating. The boiling period also reduces the time you have to bake the potatoes to cook them completely and make them crispy.

Russet potatoes, also known as Idaho potatoes, baking potatoes or chef's potatoes, are sturdy, oblong tubers with thick, brown skin. Russets are all-purpose potatoes that work well for frying, steaming, baking and roasting.

While high in carbohydrates, potatoes offer a number of nutrients that make it a healthy meal option. Potatoes contain high levels of potassium and vitamin C, along with dietary fiber, especially in the skin.

A baked potato can be part of a nutritious meal when you make healthy topping choices, but you'll have to make some minor adjustments when baking a potato at altitudes 3,000 feet above sea level or higher.