By Cheryl Tallman
www.FreshBaby.com

The potato often gets a bad rap because they are commonly fried or loaded with fat and calories from butter and sour cream. It turns out, potatoes are fat-free and cholesterol-free, a good source of fiber and Vitamin C, plus they contain less than 10% of your daily value of carbohydrates. That’s a pretty healthy food!

Baked potatoes can be the foundation for a great family dinner by creating a baked potato bar!  Similar to a taco bar, a baked potato bar offers every family member a chance to make their own meal. Instead of copying the Mexican Taco bar flavors, we decided to change up the flavor and go with Mediterranean-inspired flavors.

Baked Potato

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Rinse and scrub medium-sized potatoes under cold water to remove dirt.
• Poke holes in the potatoes several times with the tines of a fork.
• Wrap the potato in foil to produce a softer skin, or place directly on oven rack for a crispy skin.
• Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Setting up the baked potato bar:

Place a baked potato on each person’s plate.  Remove the foil (if needed) and slice and “x” in the skin and push the opening to expose the fluffy white potato goodness.

Set the table or a buffet area with a variety of healthy toppings from all the food groups.  Let each family member make their own creation. Encourage everyone to choose at least one item from each food group. Sit down at the table and enjoy a delicious meal and family togetherness.

Mediterranean Potato Bar

Vegetables: 

• Green and Black Olives
• Diced fresh tomatoes
• Chopped sun dried tomatoes
• Dice, cooked zucchini or eggplant
• Pesto or Chopped fresh basil

Proteins:

• Tuna (canned or grilled)
• Chopped grilled chicken
• Hummus or white bean dip
• Chopped hard boiled eggs

Dairy:

• Feta cheese crumbles
• Goat Cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• Cottage cheese with fresh chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice
•  

Grains:

• The potato is a fiber-rich vegetable.  However, they are starchy, so they can replace a grain on your plate at a meal. Our potato bar idea considers the baked potato the grain serving.

Cheryl Tallman is the co-founder of Fresh Baby. creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit, and author of the So Easy Baby Food Basics: Homemade Baby Food in Less Than 30 Minutes Per Week and So Easy Toddler Food: Survival Tips and Simple Recipes for the Toddler Years. Visit Cheryl online at: www.FreshBaby.com for more delicious tips. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.