Superfoods: New Potatoes

There are now more than 80 varieties of potatoes available in the UK, but particularly good this month are delicious Jersey Royals, which are bigger now than the little marbles that appeared at the beginning of April.

Potatoes sometimes get a bad press for causing obesity, but in fact they are low in fat and can be part of a healthy diet: it is how we cook the potatoes and the ingredients that we add to them, such as butter or oil, that potentially racks up the calories.

As well as being low in fat, potatoes are also a good source of vitamins and minerals. They contain vitamin B1 (thiamin), which our bodies need to help release energy from carbohydrate and is needed for healthy heart function. Potatoes contain other B vitamins too, including folic acid, vital for healthy cells and particularly important for pregnant women.