Potatoes = Good Or Bad???

MindyBlack

Last year, I was researching the US Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, aka food stamps. They're essentially beta testing a "healthy food" program out in Massachusetts, in which beneficiaries can only use the vouchers to buy things like whole grains, produce, protein-rich foods -- "healthy foods." Guess what isn't covered by the vouchers? White potatoes.

That's when I finally decided to give them up, haha.

Please don't tell me you are basing your nutritional guidance on what the government says is good for us or what they will allow to be bought with food stamps. Here in Ohio you can buy pop, candy and chips with food stamps.

HelloSweetie4

I like a baked potato. Eat the skin, and it will help
keep the triglycerides down. I usually eat most of
the potato out of the skin, then roll the skin up and
eat it like a little burrito!

:laugh: I do that sometimes! The skin is my favorite part!

invisibubble

I like a baked potato. Eat the skin, and it will help
keep the triglycerides down. I usually eat most of
the potato out of the skin, then roll the skin up and
eat it like a little burrito!

:laugh: I do that sometimes! The skin is my favorite part!

Same. I even save a little of whatever I use for the filling to roll up in there.

ScientistStudy

As a fussy vegetarian I pretty much live on potatoes!

Erindipitous

I prefer sweet potatoes. Regular potatoes are too bland for me.. I'd rather not add toppings to make it edible.

ShrinkinMel

They get a bad rep but they do have a nutrient base. I'd mix them up and unless you are diabetic I'd say they are good for you. But you'll see some diabetics give potatoes up first instead other less nutritious starches(white pasta, breads, cereals etc.) they still eat. I'd say give up the potato last.

I've been reading a lot on Gerson Therapy(which has been pretty much curing some cancers for YEARS) and one book by his daughter. She talked about how her father found that most chronic diseases come from too much sodium in the cells. This includes type 2 diabetes. They have too much sodium and regardless of what blood tests show at the cellular level they are showing to be potassium deficient and having excess of sodium. When I get my library card reinstated I think I'll go in search of the hundreds of sources they quote because I'd really really love to read more on that. It would make a lot of sense, given our processed, packaged foods full of sodium and void of potassium especially when they can seem so much easier on the budget than produce.

I think a plain baked potato with onions and salsa is soooo yummy. Or with broccoli with or without cheese.

CheleLynn44

We loooovvveee baby reds roasted either on the grill or in the oven.

In fact they are on my menu with burgers for tomorrow!!

ninpiggy

Potatoes are great. They are very high in potassium, which is essential. It's when they're fried that they aren't good for you. Remember to eat the skin as that is where the majority of their nutrients are located.

TrainingWithTonya

I eat potatoes BECAUSE of the starch. Starch is a polysaccaride, aka complex carbohydrate. Its great for people who do a lot of exercise and need the added fuel from complex carbs.

ratherbeskiing

I LOVE SWEET POTATO!

dvisser1

I haven't had potatoes in quite a while until the other day & now have been eating one every couple of days with veggies on top...I have heard that you are NOT supposed to eat potatoes b/c they are full of starch but was wondering what everyone on here thinks about eating potatoes...Good Or Bad??

Starch is another word for carbohydrate and if you read much on this message board you will find plenty of people who are completely anti-carb. There is nothing wrong with carbs or starches or even table sugar for that matter, your body breaks all carbs down into a simple sugar anyway. Some people will temporarily retain water with sudden increases in carbs, which is probably where a lot of this myth comes from.

Just watch the calorie count, otherwise potatoes are fine.

wackyfunster

I haven't had potatoes in quite a while until the other day & now have been eating one every couple of days with veggies on top...I have heard that you are NOT supposed to eat potatoes b/c they are full of starch but was wondering what everyone on here thinks about eating potatoes...Good Or Bad??

Starch is another word for carbohydrate and if you read much on this message board you will find plenty of people who are completely anti-carb. There is nothing wrong with carbs or starches or even table sugar for that matter, your body breaks all carbs down into a simple sugar anyway. Some people will temporarily retain water with sudden increases in carbs, which is probably where a lot of this myth comes from.

Just watch the calorie count, otherwise potatoes are fine.

I find it amusing... you have on one hand a group of generally out-of-shape-and-in-poor-health people advocating the low-carb lifestyle, and on the other hand, you won't find any body-builder physique people who support it (in fact, most eat something like 200-500+ grams of carbs post-workout).

Not to say that ketogenic diets can't serve a useful purpose, but when you're at 20+% body fat, worrying about anything other than getting enough protein and running a caloric deficit is completely unnecessary. You don't need ketogenesis to burn body fat. And doing the whole "eat 6000 calories of fat and protein because no carbs = no fat gain" thing doesn't work either, considering the most critical pathway for lipogenesis (ASP pathway) doesn't require any insulin to function... you will still get fat eating 6000 calories of no-carb crap. Probably not as fat as eating 6000 calories of carbs+fat, though, so there is that :P

ki4yxo

I like a baked potato. Eat the skin, and it will help
keep the triglycerides down. I usually eat most of
the potato out of the skin, then roll the skin up and
eat it like a little burrito!

:laugh: I do that sometimes! The skin is my favorite part!

Same. I even save a little of whatever I use for the filling to roll up in there.

Yes, I always leave a little filling in them
when I'm done.

jg627

Are they healthy? Sure, you can eat them, but read about the cultural imperialization of the celts in the brittish isles by King Edward and you might want to give potatoes the finger. They are pretty bland, but I don't mind those little red potatoes once in a while.

Improvised

Good, and oh, so tasty.

amyrchester

Nothing wrong with a fresh baked potato--especially with salsa instead of butter! Processed potato flakes, on the other hand, are a nutritional ripoff.

jennkain97

i don't think any foods are bad, you just have to watch how big your portions are and how often you eat them. also don't go adding too much fatty toppings to them. watch the calories.

a potato the size of your fist is a portion.
and as long as you add them into your daily calorie allowance i don't think you should not eat them.
eat them as part of your healthy diet and include them in your lifestyle.
Thats what i think anyway.

This is true, provided you are talking about natural foods. However, once you start talking about processed snacks, like chips, cookies, cakes, etc, they are in fact "bad". They have no (or virtually no) nutritional value, and are loaded w/ fat and simple sugars, which are "bad", no matter how little you eat. Will a small amount kill you? Probably not, but there is absolutely nothing "good" about them.

LilRedRooster

Starch is not the enemy. Starch is just sugar in a different form. And it's not bad for you, contrary to popular opinion.

Now, if you eat nothing but potatoes, then you might have issues.

Deelu333

I think it all depends on how you eat them. My favorite way is plain old boiled potatoes with a little salt or something for flavor Any spice really.
Also...i find they help fill me up and keep me full.

Funsoaps

I like sweet potatoes

or I just make potato boats, where I scrape out the inside and just add cheese if you like, salsa, bacon or ground turkey sausage or kidney beans or something to fill the top. The skin is the healthiest part. I even freeze them, make mashed potatoes for someone else and just eat the skins.

Elizabeth_C34

Potatoes are fantastic. Just fit them into your calories just like everything else.

They are full of potassium and red potatoes are full of lots of good nutrients for the body.

TheAnie

There's a guy who ate nothing but potatoes for 60 days. He lost weight, and all his blood work improved. There's nothing wrong with potatoes.

http://20potatoesaday.com/

Wow his site is awesome! haha. Growing up they used to swear I could live on nothing but potatoes. I almost want to try it now.

Bunnybeesweet

I hate to be potato-party-pooper but some people might need to avoid potatoes because, as a nightshade vegetable they do contain high levels of alkaloids, which can worsen inflammation. If you have arthritis, for example, potatoes are not healthy addition to your diet.

Papillon22

Apparently, they can be pretty bad sometimes!



Just fit them into your calorie allowance and enjoy!

TrailRunner61

Good!
Potatoes are full of potassium and other things that are good for you. Sweet potatoes are even better for you!
It's the butter, cheese, bacon, sour cream and other 'crap' that gives them a bad rap. Eat them if you like them, just make room in your diary like you would for anything else.

I grill them in foil on bake in the oven with vidalia onions, mushrooms, paprika, garlic powder, parsley and sometimes a little olive oil. Delicious!

MarlaChandlerBarton

My fave is homemade sweet potato fries - not really fried, but baked in the over with a tiny bit of Olive Oil drizzled across them and a little bit of sea salt. Yummy! :bigsmile:

Jules2Be

When my potatoes are bad I spank them...

daughteroftheking84

I eat white potatoes but I think it's just like any other food...eat in moderation.

Spanaval

Potatoes are fine unless you are consuming large quantities in the form of stuff like French fries and chips. It's often what we do to the foods that makes them "bad".

theresabell67

For me this journey is a lifestyle change so I don't look at any food as Bad. I take everything in moderation,account for it and continue on. So I guess my question for you is, is can you live without potatoes for the rest of your life and not feel guilty about it?