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Special Diet Information

Coumadin® (Warfarin)
This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.

Sodium
This is a low sodium recipe.

GERD / Acid Reflux
No specific GERD triggers.

Gluten Sensitivity
This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten.

"A satisfied customer-we should have him stuffed!"
-Basil Fawlty, Owner, Fawlty Towers

The refrigerator light goes on...

I do love baked potatoes. They're so simple but so many different ways to cook them. The main decision is whether to wrap or not. Foil traps the moisture and the potato steams along with baking making for a moister flesh. I prefer to not wrap potatoes and bake them unwrapped. The skin turns out crispy and the flesh fluffier I feel.

Idaho potatoes are the best for baking. You can bake waxy potatoes like Yukon gold or red potatoes but they will not have the same fluffiness as Idahos. If you are in a hurry, the microwave will cook your potato but these dry out too much. You can cook it for 2 minutes on high prior to putting the potato in the oven and it will preheat the potato and shorten the cooking time by about 10 minutes. Of course, the Nutrition Facts don't include what you put on top of your potato. Loading it down with butter will add a lot of calories. I like a little bit of salt and pepper with sour cream and maybe some grated cheddar cheese.

Fiber

Fiber is not one particular food but the part of plant foods that your body can’t digest -- what your grandma called roughage.  She might have thought of getting more roughage as eating more greens and beans but there’s so many other great sources of fiber.

Technically fiber is a carbohydrate but is not absorbed into the body like other carbs because humans don’t have the enzymes to break them down.  As a result foods that are high in fiber are generally lower in calories.  

Most people need to increase the amount of dietary fiber in their diet.  The average American only eats foods with 10 – 15 grams of fiber per day but 25 – 30 grams is optimum.  

Higher fiber diets have been associated with lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, diverticulosis as well as lower cholesterol and reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.   

There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble:
 
•  Soluble fiber is often called a “sticky” fiber, and is the one that is more effective in lowering cholesterol.  It is found in dried beans and grains, such as oat bran, oatmeal and rye.  Almost all fruits, such as apples, grapes, peaches, oranges and pears, are high in soluble fiber (think sticky fruits). Most vegetables are high in soluble fiber as well.  

•  Insoluble fibers are found in whole grain products, such as whole wheat flour, breads and pastas.  Cereal grains like rice, wild rice and seeds are high in  insoluble fiber.

The easy way to get more fiber in your diet is to eat more fruits and veggies.  Also eating more whole grains and nuts can be good sources of fiber. 

Plain Baked Potato

Servings = 1 | Serving size =1 6 ounce potato

Cooking Time = 45 Minutes

This recipe can be multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

This recipe does not make very good leftovers.

1	6 ounce Idaho potato

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Scrub the potato and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the potato gives slightly when you squeeze it.