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lol - that's adorable. Maybe she is usually tasked with peeling potatoes in her family's kitchen? I use both excuses outright (usually asking around if anyone has strong objections to peels in mashed potatoes - I have yet to hear a "yes" - but if I ever do, that person will be immediately volunteered to do the peeling). I'm not a nutirtionist, but I was always told that the skins were where the nutrients are as well. I like to half-peel my potatoes - sporadically hitting each potato with the peeler and then stopping.

I had always heard that's where all the vitamins are...just like my mom told me all the brocolli's vitamins were in the stems....hey....waaait just one minute!

It's where all the vitamins (and the pesticides) are is what I've been told. I never peel the skin. It would take less time for me to peel potatoes than it does for me to carefully scrub each dimple in a potato.

Haha, I think I grew up with the same mother juliebugsmama, I hated those brocolli stems! :) Now, I love them AND potato peels. So more nutritious or not, just use them if they taste better!

Hillary
Chew on That

I like them peeled but either either way's okay. I only have mashed potatoes for Sunday dinner. Maybe one baked during the week and I eat the skin. Julie, I cut off the broccoli stems and only serve the top. The stems get chopped up and frozen to be added to veggie soup.

@Pav - Had I told an adult that and my parents found out...peels in the potatoes would have been the least of my worries - So true! I wouldn't even dream of saying something like this to an adult, let alone actually say it...

As for potato skins, with red skinned and new potatoes - I love to leave them on, just because I love the taste, especially when I roast them. For mash and some other things, I peel them. My parents did not tell me when I was little that "that's where the nutrients are":-), so I have no personal attachment to the peels. In fact, peeling potatoes was one of my childhood "chores", and I actually loved doing it, I've always found it rather therapeutic. I was an odd child, I reckon.

As far as I know, root vegetables have nutritious skins because they're grown in the earth. I first heard this in grade 10 biology class and have read it numerous places.

Of course, the earth would have to be nutrient-rich. I'm guessing that root vegetables aren't as nutrient-dense as they used to be because of factory farms who fertilize and don't rotate crops.

Some sources to back this up:
1. What is the Nutritional Value of the Potato Skins?

2. Wikipedia says,

The notion that “all of the potato’s nutrients” are found in the skin is an urban legend. While the skin does contain approximately half of the total dietary fiber, more than 50% of the nutrients are found within the potato itself. The cooking method used can significantly impact the nutrient availability of the potato.

“all of the potato’s nutrients” is an absolute, though. The Wikipedia's assertion indicates that the urban legend is that the potato beneath the skin has none. It doesn't mean that the skins don't have a high concentration of nutrients, just not all.

My own feeling is that if you're going to leave the skins on, it's better to buy organic.

I like the way that some 7 year olds think.

Three cheers to @1stmakearoux - I hate, hate, hate baked potatoes cooked in tinfoil - why do people and especially restaurants do that? It is a waste of aluminium IMHO! They are just so much better baked naked.

While I am here - stupid question maybe - but why when we refer to another poster do we have to start with "@" - don't laugh, I would love to know the answer.

I like my mashed potatoes smooth, so I always peel the potatoes for those. I just don't like the peels in there. Sorry.

Baked potatoes, I eat the insides first, then I eat the skin.

Other potatoes, it depends. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I prefer them peeled. Sometimes I don't care either way.

@HeartofGlass - I quite understand referring to a poster's name, in fact it is nice to, as you say, highlight that someone has said something interesting, but it is the "@" part, I don't get - I have just seen it on this website - I always assumed it means "at" so in effect, I would be saying, "at HeartofGlass" rather than "to HeartofGlass" - I know it is unimportant but I am curious to understand why the "@" designation is used.

Didn't Alton Brown do a show where he debunked things? I thought there was some truth to the value of the peel. I eat it because it's got great texture and I like the taste.

I'm with everyone who thinks the little snot who made the remark about lazy adults needs a stern reprimand. And who raised little Chucky anyway?? They don't get any banners for parenthood.

Looks like it's fun with child abuse day today.

@ everyone who thought the 7yr-old was rude (now so many names I lost count) - yes, kids here are rude; and their parents think it is adorable. Must be a cultural thing... I just thank my lucky stars that any child I have here (fingers crossed) won't be school-aged until we are back in the US and hopefully won't have a chance to pick up the local "manners".

Yay for potato peels! I'm going to keep leaving them in things. In fact, thanks to Perky, I made corned beef hash for dinner last night. All I had were small red potatoes, and I left the skins on. It was yummy!!!

@ hungrychristel.... you're welcome!

@JerzeeTomato. Ouch. And yet I'm snickering. Got children?