Portion size is important for someone when they are cooking because this way, they know how much food to give not only to themselves but also to everyone else attending the meal.
By using portion size, you can help prevent yourself from under-eating or over-eating, both of which can lead to excessive weight gain.
People use portion sizes for a lot of foods, including food like potato salad. In this article, you’ll figure out how much potato salad a person eats, if you can eat too much, and finally, the benefits of eating it!
In the end, you’ll be an expert at doling out potato salad!
Contents
What Is Potato Salad?
First, let us touch on what exactly potato salad is in case you aren’t aware of what it is. It is a type of salad that is made after you boil your potatoes, throw in some kind of dressing, and/or boiled eggs, and raw veggies.
Some of these ingredients are necessary. The biggest one is potatoes and whatever dressing you decide that you want to use.
This food is immensely popular all over the world. Most people think it’s from America, but it was created in Germany—or at least this is what most people believe to be the case.
It’s just immensely popular in the United States, besides Europe. Still, you shouldn’t count Europe out just because it’s immensely popular in the USA.
Most of the time, this food is served as a side dish and served cold. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t eat it warm or as a main course. This just isn’t common with potato salad. Doesn’t mean you can eat it like that. Eat it, however you like.
How Much Potato Salad Does Each Person Get?
Now you know what potato salad is, but you still don’t know how much potato salad each person should be getting in the first place!
First off, it depends on if you are making it from scratch or buying potato salad that is already made. No shame if you don’t make it from scratch. Sometimes it’s easier to just go that route.
If you are making it from scratch, then you are going to need a couple of cups, depending on how many people you are inviting over.
About ½ cup of potato salad should be given to each person. The same goes for ready-made potato salad.
Where you find the biggest difference is how much you need. There should be 2 cups for 4 people if it’s homemade, and if you are buying it, then 1 pound for the same amount of people.
Can You Eat Too Much Potato Salad?
Now we are at the point where we tell you that, sadly, there is too much of a good thing when it comes to potato salad. The risks of eating too much include:
- Potatoes have a lot of fiber, and while fiber is good for you, having too much of it can cause you to have digestive issues. You’ll end up with a lot of gas and bloating, which isn’t life-threatening, but it is uncomfortable.
- This only applies to sweet potatoes, but if you are eating a lot of sweet potatoes, you might turn orange! This condition is called carotenemia, and because of the beta carotene in sweet potatoes, you’ll have this issue.
- Potatoes have a lot of carbs, which can cause a lot of weight gain, so if you want to avoid this, try not to eat too much potato salad.
- Having a lot of potatoes can cause your blood sugar to increase. If you happen to have diabetes, then high blood sugar is a huge deal.
These are the biggest issues that can come about if you eat too much potato salad. Some of them are less risky than overs, but it doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable.
What Are the Benefits of Eating a Potato Salad?
So, now we are onto the benefits of eating potato salad. Believe it or not, there are some! These include:
- Potatoes have a lot of vitamins like potassium, fiber, folate, vitamin B, and vitamin C. All of these do different things for your body, but the biggest similarity is that it’s all things your body needs!
- The potassium in potatoes is a great thing because it can help control blood pressure and lower cholesterol. When you get older, you can be at risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol, so if potatoes can help, take it!
- While we are sometimes told to avoid carbs, they can be a great way of getting us energy. Having a small bowl of potato salad will give you a decent amount of carbs that will give you energy.
- Finally, potatoes do give your body extra calories. When you need to have some extra calories for your meal, then consider having some potato salad.
So, these are the biggest benefits to eating potato salad. Now depending on what you put into your potato salad, the benefits and risks could differ.
However, the healthier ingredients you put in then the better off you are going to be in the end. This is especially true if you put in veggies and use low-fat items.
Mayo is a big culprit, and while we know that it tastes good, it isn’t exactly the healthiest item for you, so consider replacing it with something that is low fat. Another type of dressing will also work, but remember the choice is up to you!
Final Thoughts
And there you go, all you potato salad lovers out there! We touched on what it is, how much each person should get if you can eat too much, and finally, what are the benefits of eating potato salad in the first place!
Please remember to always do things in moderation. The reason for this is that having too much of something isn’t always good for the body. This is especially true for food.
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I have been smoking and grilling meat from an early age and enjoy sharing my knowledge and expertise through the hundreds of articles I have written about BBQ. I hope to make everyone’s BBQ journey that little bit easier.