Cheddar cheese, lettuce, corn, beef and grilled chicken can also be placed on the fluffy white potato. I like to put tortilla strips on mine for a small crunch.
Undoctored potatoes are healthy, Mueller says. They supply a good mix of nutrients. It's when people deep-fry them in oil or smother them in butter, sour cream or salt that spuds turn into nutritional duds.
Cook potatoes by boiling, steaming or microwaving them without adding other ingredients. Preparing potatoes in this manner will ensure that they are very low in salt, sugar and fat. 3. Another method of cooking potato the healthy way is to cook it with its skin this provides fiber to the body.
Don't wrap your potatoes in foil
"I see a lot of people using foil to wrap their potatoes in but this is a big no-no and causes soggy skins!" he says. Foil holds in moisture and steams the potatoes, resulting in a "boiled" taste and texture. Plus, without the use of foil, the skin will get extra crispy and flavorful.
We've found that when wrapping a potato in foil, they actually cook faster because the aluminum foil traps the heat, thus cooking them faster.
But if you prefer not to cook with butter, you could sub in whatever type of high-heat cooking oil you prefer. (I would recommend avocado oil or regular olive oil, not extra-virgin.) Kosher salt: I recommend using coarse Kosher salt, in order to add a bit of a crunch to the potato skins.
Additional vegetables keep the baked potato low in fat and calories. Fresh vegetables like chopped tomatoes and green onions work as the topping, especially when paired with low-fat sour cream or yogurt. Another option is to use steamed or roasted vegetables on top of your baked potato.
Olive oil
Olive oil is another healthy replacement for butter. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Olive oil is an excellent choice for cooking, sautéing, and baking. Use it in place of butter in recipes that call for melted butter.
Replacing Butter With Oil
Depending on the type of oil, it can add complex flavor and welcome moisture to your baked goods. A good rule of thumb is to replace about 3/4 of the butter in a recipe with olive, canola, or vegetable oil (if the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup oil).
Rumor has it that an un-pricked spud will explode in the oven—but in all actuality, that's unlikely. Conventional wisdom says that when you bake a potato, you have to prick it with a fork all over a few times, piercing the skin to allow steam to release.
3. Use an Oven That's Hot (But Not Too Hot) Potato baking temperatures range from 350˚ to 450˚F. The sweet spot seems to be at 400˚F, a temperature that cooks the potato all the way through and crisps the skin without singeing it.
Wrapping potatoes in foil does not hasten baking. On the contrary, since the foil itself has to be heated before the potato begins to bake, cooking times increase slightly. Not only do you get better baked potatoes when you bake them unwrapped, you also save money.
"It pokes holes in the skin, which allows steam to escape. Otherwise, they could explode—it doesn't happen all the time, but it happens every once in a while. The potato is full of water it's trying to turn to steam, or water vapor.
So, now that you know the reason behind the different appearances of the two sides, you're probably wondering if you should use aluminum foil with the shiny side up or down. Quite simply, it doesn't matter. Since the exact same material makes up both sides, they will perform precisely the same way.
Aluminum foil helps the skin on your potato stay nice and soft, and it is safe to use as long as you don't allow your baked potato to cool down to a dangerous temperature while still in the foil after cooking.
Trust us! Wrapping potatoes in foil produces a soggy potato because the foil holds in moisture and steams the potato. This recipe cooks the potatoes on a baking sheet (or even directly on the oven rack) for evenly cooked potatoes with perfectly crisp skin.
Yes. Eat the skin to capture all the russet potatoes nutrition. The potato skin has more nutrients than the interior of the potato. It has lots of fiber, about half of a medium potato's fiber is from the skin.
One medium baked potato with the skin provides an excellent source of potassium and vitamins C and B6, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, niacin, folate and fiber.