Am I making a mistake eating baked potato for dinner?

Gwen_44

Vitamins and Minerals
That one large potato will provide about 60 percent of the daily value for vitamin D and 45 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. These vitamins help build up the strength of your bones and keep your heart healthy. A potato also contains about 35 percent of the daily value for B-6, and 15 percent for thiamin, niacin, magnesium and iron. Together, these nutrients aid in energy metabolism, support the health of the nervous system, help build strong teeth and bones and are essential for the production of red blood cells.

Toppings
In the vast majority of cases, the negative dietary elements in a baked potato are primarily not from the potato itself, but rather from the toppings that are put on it. For example, a baked potato with sour cream and chives contains an extra 170 calories for a total of 393, with over 20 g of fat. A potato topped with cheese sauce and bacon contains an extra 230 calories, for a staggering 451 calories in a single potato, with 25 g of fat.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/407982-are-baked-potatoes-healthy/

Sabine_Stroehm

Gwen_43 wrote: »

Vitamins and Minerals
That one large potato will provide about 60 percent of the daily value for vitamin D and 45 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. These vitamins help build up the strength of your bones and keep your heart healthy. A potato also contains about 35 percent of the daily value for B-6, and 15 percent for thiamin, niacin, magnesium and iron. Together, these nutrients aid in energy metabolism, support the health of the nervous system, help build strong teeth and bones and are essential for the production of red blood cells.

Toppings
In the vast majority of cases, the negative dietary elements in a baked potato are primarily not from the potato itself, but rather from the toppings that are put on it. For example, a baked potato with sour cream and chives contains an extra 170 calories for a total of 393, with over 20 g of fat. A potato topped with cheese sauce and bacon contains an extra 230 calories, for a staggering 451 calories in a single potato, with 25 g of fat.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/407982-are-baked-potatoes-healthy/

Yay for fat!

FitPhillygirl

klove808 wrote: »

I did a sugar elimination transition "diet" once and it recommended eating no proteins before sleeping, but definitely a baked potato. Helps you sleep too! Something about serotonin perhaps. Don't remember.

No protein before bed? I eat Greek yogurt that has 15gms of protein every night before going to bed.

amusedmonkey

Yes, potatoes will turn into sugar just like any starchy carb at any time of the day, not only before bed. That's a natural response and it's not inherently bad.

I actually use potatoes as a strategy in my diet. When I know I'm having a heavy dinner, I boil or bake a small potato and eat it plain before a planned high calorie dinner (I love potatoes with nothing but a bit of salt). Potatoes are so satiating to me that I feel satisfied eating much smaller portions of a heavy dinner if I have a small potato beforehand.

snickerscharlie

AnvilHead wrote: »

snickerscharlie wrote: »

AnvilHead wrote: »

snickerscharlie wrote: »

Plain greek yogurt is amazing on baked potatoes! As delicious as sour cream, but more protein and less calories.

That's the one use I have for plain greek yogurt - as a sour cream substitute, because that's exactly what it tastes like to me. I love flavored greek yogurt and eat it all the time, but the plain stuff is just like eating a bowl of sour cream.

Yup! I substituted the sour cream for plain greek yogurt and no one in the family even noticed the difference. That's how good it is.

Now if you really want to get tricky with them, substitute mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes. They taste so much alike and have such similar texture that most people would never know the difference if you didn't tell them.

I draw the line at substituting cauliflower for mashed potatoes. There are some things I just. Won't. Do. LOL.

I do put the greek yogurt in my mashed potatoes, though. Makes them very creamy and delicious.