Today, when we are bombarded with food from all directions, we sometimes don't even realize how precious simplicity is. When we look at studies on food prices, we see that the average price of fresh vegetables in Europe has increased by over 22% in five years, while potatoes have remained stable and are still one of the most accessible foods. That’s why recipes that are not expensive but bring a lot of satiety, nutrients, and flavor are always worth looking at.
Why can baked potatoes with polenta be healthier than many expensive dishes?
Although potatoes are often mentioned as humble food for the poor, they actually rank among the most nutritious foods we have at home. When in 2023 the nutritional value of the 50 most commonly used foods in Europe was analyzed, potatoes landed in the top ten, mainly due to their rich potassium content (more than 420 mg per 100 g), fiber, and B vitamins. Polenta contains complex carbohydrates that are released slowly, meaning they give you energy for hours.
Our grandmothers used to say that potatoes calm the stomach, and polenta warms a person from the inside. When we check this with modern research, we find that there is nothing random in folk wisdom. Potatoes are naturally rich in pectin, a substance also found in apples, which is responsible for better digestion and a calmer stomach. Pectin is a natural plant fiber that works in the stomach like a soft sponge, absorbing excess substances and helping to cleanse the intestines. Polenta contains many beneficial starches, which act as prebiotics in the body, meaning they feed the good bacteria in the gut.
In 2025, the University of Turin published a study showing that consuming resistant starch decreased the feeling of hunger by as much as 35% compared to regular carbohydrates. This may also explain why, in the past, farmers could survive long hard days of work with just polenta and potatoes.
How does folk food affect our health today?
Folk cuisine has always been linked with healing. When people had stomach aches, they ate cooked polenta. When they had problems with internal fatigue, they ate oven-baked potatoes, because, as elders used to say, the body regenerates with them.
In 2020, the World Health Organization published data showing that people who regularly eat simple, unprocessed meals report on average 18% fewer digestive issues. And in 2025, a study in Germany involving more than 8,000 people found that those who eat homemade food at least three times a week spend up to 40% less money on digestive medications.
Baked potatoes with polenta are therefore a classic example of a dish that has no hidden additives, does not irritate the stomach, does not burden the liver, and gives plenty of energy without causing a sudden drop in blood sugar, which often happens after meals with a lot of processed foods.
How to prepare baked potatoes with polenta for optimal health?
You don’t need much to prepare this dish. We recommend you use red potatoes, as they contain somewhat more natural antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that catch harmful particles in our bodies, mostly free radicals, which cause inflammation and fatigue.
If you want the potatoes to remain as nutritious as possible, it's best not to peel them. Up to 70% of all antioxidants and fiber are in the skin. In 2022, the Dutch Institute for Nutrition published a study proving that eating potatoes with their skins improves digestion by up to 25%.
Cut the potatoes into wedges and roll them in polenta to create a corn crust that prevents the potatoes from drying out too much or soaking up too much oil. Folk healers were already using polenta as a basic food in the 19th century, meaning food that helps the body fight excess acidity. Acidity (in simple terms: when the body is overloaded with acidic food residues) has long been linked with fatigue, bone pain, and a worse mood. Modern studies look at this more neutrally but still confirm that polenta indeed does not contain many acidic components and is very gentle on the stomach.
For a complete meal you need:
- about 1/2 kilogram of potatoes (this is the amount that on average keeps an adult full for 4-5 hours, as it contains around 350 calories, 8 g of fiber, and nearly half a liter of water – potatoes actually contain 78% water)
- polenta or cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons of oil
- salt and spices to taste.
Even though this seems like a small step, research shows that spices such as paprika and turmeric contain more than 50 different antioxidant substances. Curcumin (the main compound in turmeric) is one of the most researched natural anti-inflammatory substances, with more than 6,000 scientific articles published between 2015 and 2024.
Preparation
Once you’ve rolled the potatoes in polenta, put them in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius. According to the German Institute for Thermal Food Preparation, this temperature is ideal because the potatoes start releasing natural sugars at 180 degrees Celsius, and at 200 degrees they get a beautiful golden-brown color without burning.
The baking time, about 30 minutes, is also optimal because with longer baking, a substance called acrylamide may start forming in the crust of starchy foods. Research shows that at 200 degrees Celsius, after 30 minutes, 40 to 70% less acrylamide is formed compared to baking at over 220 degrees.
What can you do if you have digestive issues, low energy, or feel overwhelmed?
Baked potatoes with polenta are often the first choice of people who want to return to natural and homemade solutions. In 2025, a study in Austria showed that people who ate simple homemade dishes for 5 days in a row reported:
- 22% less bloating,
- 30% better sleep,
- 18% more energy throughout the day.
Folk cuisine as medicine
In times when a hundred dietary supplements – all of them artificially produced – are offered for every problem, we invite you back to simplicity. Baked potatoes with polenta are a dish that is cheap, quick to prepare, nutritious, and kind to the body. With it, we return to folk wisdom that says food is not just fuel, but also medicine and the gentle voice of home.
If you prepare this recipe regularly, you’ll notice that something so simple really can affect your well-being.
Give it a try!
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