How To Make A Healthier Potato Salad (3 Simple Tips)

This better-for-you potato salad starts with organic red potatoes that are cooked and chilled for 24 hours before being tossed in a sugar-free avocado oil mayonnaise dressing. Unlike traditional potato salad recipes, this version uses three simple techniques that may help lower the potatoes’ glycemic impact while keeping the classic creamy flavor.

Potatoes are a real comfort food and what better way to enjoy them in the summertime but in a rich, creamy potato salad? There’s just something about a cool dish of potato salad that makes a summer meal a true delight.

At the same time, though, I used to shy away from eating potato salad. I used to think something this tasty couldn’t be good for me. After all, it’s potatoes and mayonnaise.

We all know what potatoes do to our waistline, right? And commercially prepared mayo is processed with all kinds of ingredients that we really don’t want to eat.

Fear not! This summer, potato salad can make a return to our picnic tables alongside picks from my appetizers and side dishes such as fresh garden Cucumber Salad and refreshing Coleslaw With Sugar Free Dressing. 

In today’s post, I’m excited to share 3 tips for making a healthier potato salad.

First, if we’re healthy and active, we shouldn’t fear potatoes. They’re actually a very nutritious choice. Though they’re not packed with micronutrients like kale, they do have some important nutrients. These include vitamins A & C, iron, calcium, fiber, and protein.

The white potato nutrient composition is very close to their cousin the sweet potato so delicious in my Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and roasted Parmesan Baked Sweet Potatoes recipes. If potato salad is prepared properly, it can give your gut microbiota a big boost.

Of course, if you’re concerned with your weight or have a metabolic disorder like diabetes, you may want to limit your carb intake.

However, potato salad can be made in a certain way where the potato’s glycemic index, (GI) which measures how a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose, can actually be significantly reduced. That should come as good news to all diabetics and pre-diabetics.

Here are the 3 simple tips:

Tip #1. Use Organic Red Potatoes For A Healthier Potato Salad

There are so many different types of potatoes, but not all of them are created equal. The best potatoes to use for potato salad are red potatoes.

Red potatoes are lower in carbohydrates compared to other white potatoes like the russet. They also hold their shape when you boil them and won’t crumble when you cut them up.

Since potatoes are listed as one of the dirty dozen, they’re frequently found to be contaminated with toxic insecticides. I recommend using organic potatoes for a healthier choice. Read more here.

Tip #2. Cook and cool your red potatoes for 24 hours For Your Healthier Potato Salad

Prepare your potato salad a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.

Here’s why. A fascinating study showed that boiling potatoes and then storing them cold for 24 hours lowered their glycemic index (GI) to a moderate level (56). That’s pretty good considering the GI of baked white potatoes is about 85. See here and here.

People who are concerned with their GI, especially diabetics and pre-diabetics or anyone who wants to keep their GI low, could potentially eat potato salad that’s been cooked and cooled in the fridge for 24 hours without any issue.

The addition of vinegar, which is just one of the nutritious ingredients in potato salad, also lowers the GI.

Now here’s an added benefit of boiling the potatoes and keeping them cold for 24 hours. This process seems to increase the resistant starch (RS) content of the potato.

Remember our gut microbiota have to eat too. And they love to eat resistant starch. Eating boiled and cooled potatoes will keep those guys healthy and happy. More about this in our guide, how probiotic yogurt can help improve your health.

(Of course, it’s always important to consult with your doctor before adding foods to your diet if you have health issues.)

Tip #3. The Secret Ingredient: Avocado Oil Mayonnaise For A Healthier Potato Salad

It’s important to choose a healthy mayo since it’s such a key ingredient in the potato salad. I use nutritious sugar-free avocado oil mayonnaise from Primal Kitchen. As stated on the label, there are just five real-food ingredients: pure avocado oil, organic eggs, organic vinegar, sea salt and rosemary extract.

You’re going to love the taste. Refined avocado oil is highly nutritious and loaded with antioxidants. Read all about its health benefits here.

Here’s my super easy way to make a classic potato salad with healthy  ingredients:

*Free printable recipe card is available at the end of the post.

First, place your potatoes in a pot of cold water so that they will cook evenly. Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Then turn down the heat to a simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork.

Let the potatoes cool for at least 30 minutes. They’ll be easy to peel now. I always remove potato skins since reading that potentially toxic glycoalkaloids which repel pests are concentrated in the skin of the potato.

Then cut your potatoes into bite-sized pieces and toss with about a cup of avocado mayo. Cover and chill in the fridge for twenty-four hours.

The next day, I like to toss in salt, pepper, and fresh chopped sweet-tasting dill. Primal Kitchen’s mayo has organic vinegar as one of its ingredients. I only add a tiny bit, one-half of a teaspoon, of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar as well. It has a powerful taste so don’t overdo it.

Seriously, I added way too much vinegar one time and I had to throw the whole batch out. Bleh. So just a little bit to taste.

You may want to sprinkle some paprika on top or add onions, celery, shredded carrots, diced bacon, or even chopped up hard boiled eggs. Whatever you like to add, you’ll be starting with a potato salad that has a moderate glycemic index.

This is a huge health benefit.

Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best texture and flavor, keep it well chilled and give it a quick stir before serving. If the salad has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour on a hot day), it’s safest to discard it.

Serving suggestions

If you’re cooking an easy summer dinner around this, pair it with my lemon herb grilled chicken or my friend, Christie’s grilled shrimp salad Niçoise for a complete meal that feels comforting without feeling heavy.

Bring this healthy and delicious potato salad to your next cookout along with other hits from my Vegetable and Salad collection, such as the savory Bacon, Corn, and Zucchini Sauté and the light and refreshing Summer Salad With Tomatoes And Corn Strips!

If you prefer a lighter option, give my Bacon Potato Salad with Vinaigrette a try. It’s just as delicious with a tangy twist.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make potato salad better for you without giving up the creamy texture and classic flavor, these three simple tips are an easy place to start. Choosing organic red potatoes, cooking and cooling them before serving, and using a sugar-free avocado oil mayonnaise are small changes that can make a meaningful difference while still delivering the potato salad everyone expects.

I hope you’ll give these ideas a try at your next cookout, picnic, or family dinner. If you do, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite way to serve potato salad at your table.

Before you go…
If dinner feels like a daily puzzle, I’d love to show you the simple system I use to make weeknight meals feel easier. The Sauce Method for Easy Dinners helps you stop wondering what’s for dinner and start walking into the kitchen with a plan your family will enjoy.

Have a wonderful week!

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4.34 from 3 votes

How To Make A Healthier Potato Salad (3 Simple Tips)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

This isn't just another potato salad. The secret tips will make this side dish better for everyone.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 319kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of organic red potatoes
• 1 cup avocado mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh chopped dill
• 1/2 teaspoon Bragg's apple cider vinegar optional

Instructions

• Start with your potatoes in a pot of cold water so that your potatoes will cook evenly.
  2 pounds of organic red potatoes
• Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Then turn down the heat to simmer for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork.
• When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and cut them up into bite-sized pieces. Toss with avocado mayonnaise.
  1 cup avocado mayonnaise
• Cover and chill in the fridge for twenty-four hours.
• The next day, toss with fresh chopped dill, salt, and pepper. I only add one-half of a teaspoon of Bragg's apple cider vinegar. It has a powerful taste so don't over do it.
  salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 teaspoon Bragg's apple cider vinegar, fresh chopped dill
• Serve cold.

Notes

• Please refer to the blog post above for more important information.
• Add 24 hours to the total time for potatoes to chill in the refrigerator after cooking them. 
• Red potatoes are lower in carbohydrates compared to other white potatoes like the russet. They also hold their shape when you boil them and won’t crumble when you cut them up.
• Only add a tiny bit, one-half of a teaspoon, of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar to the dressing. It has a powerful taste so don’t overdo it. Seriously, I added way too much vinegar one time and I had to throw the whole batch out. Bleh. So just a little bit to taste.
• You may want to sprinkle some paprika on top or add onions, celery, shredded carrots, diced bacon, or even chopped up hard boiled eggs. Whatever you like to add, you’ll be starting with a potato salad that has a moderate glycemic index. This is a huge health benefit.
• Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For the best texture and flavor, keep it well chilled and give it a quick stir before serving. If the salad has been left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour on a hot day), it's safest to discard it.

Nutrition

Calories: 319kcal

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