We love a good potato here at Strong Women. Baked, roasted, fried, we’re all about those starchy carbs. But did you know that potato salad – ie cooked and cooled potatoes – might be the most gut-healthy way to consume them?

It’s all to do with a type of resistant starch that forms when certain foods are cooled after cooking. Heating carbs like potatoes up causes the existing starch to lose its original structure; once cooled, a new structure is formed. And that new structure is resistant to digestion and leads to a host of health benefits. Resistant starch is a prebiotic that feeds the good bacteria in your gut. It’s also been linked to decreased inflammation which has led scientists to believe that it may play a role in preventing colon cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

But perhaps most notable is the impact resistant starch has on blood sugar. When cooled, cooked potatoes have less of an impact on our blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity. They’re also filling, with research showing that resistant starch increases feelings of fullness in women.

In other words, potato salad may just be the perfect lunch option. Serve as a side to a protein-rich main or make it into the main dish.

This cheesy vegan potato salad recipe is a gut healthy way to consume spuds