White Potatoes

happycauseIride
happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Are they really that bad for you? I'm not talking about fried in oil french fries or hash browns or even drowned in butter and gravy mashed. I'm just talking about a plain old baked potato with a little butter and possibly some light sour cream.

I was comparing a regular white potato with a sweet potato and the sweet potato is a few less calories, a few less carbs but also less protein and more sodium.

Thoughts??

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Are they really that bad for you? I'm not talking about fried in oil french fries or hash browns or even drowned in butter and gravy mashed. I'm just talking about a plain old baked potato with a little butter and possibly some light sour cream.

    I was comparing a regular white potato with a sweet potato and the sweet potato is a few less calories, a few less carbs but also less protein and more sodium.

    Thoughts??

    No and no food is bad for you without context and dosage taken into consideration
  • StacyReneO
    StacyReneO Posts: 317 Member
    I think sweet potatoes have more fiber, which is always good. I know that orange, yellow & red vegetables tend to have more Vitamin A than other veggies too.
  • 2B230
    2B230 Posts: 24
    Racists.

    :laugh:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    No I don't subscribe to "white foods" are bad

    It's all the yummy toppings & the oversized portions that get me into trouble. I like both white & sweet potatoes.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Not at all! The difference between white and sweet potatoes is more about the micronutrients/vitamins between the two. Sweet potatoes have a ton of Vitamin A, while white potatoes are a bit more rich in potassium. Sweet potatoes do have a bit more fiber and a bit less calories and carbs but they're actually a little higher in sugar than white potatoes.
  • beachlover317
    beachlover317 Posts: 2,848 Member
    Meet your calorie goal for the day. How you meet it is up to you. I still eat potatoes. I love them and they are a great source of potassium. They are not BAD for you, at all.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    No, they are not bad. It's just that most Americans eat more potatoes than is good for them, often at the expense of other vegetables. They can be part of a heatlhy diet, just be sure to eat a good mix of other vegetables too.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    I find not labeling foods as "good"or "bad" or "clean" or "dirty" the simplest approach. If it fits into my day, I eat it.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    A good source of POTASSIUM... which a lot of folks overlook.

    be careful pick them out of the MFP data base though, lots of the entries only have calories and carbs input...

    Here is more complete nutritional info

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2554/2
  • hananah89
    hananah89 Posts: 692 Member
    I don't like brown rice. I don't like sweet potatoes. I'm pretty picky with veggies so definitely no spaghetti squash for me. I will eat my white potatoes, white rice, and good ole regular pasta whenever I want if I fit them in my calories for the day. I eat everything in moderation, there are no bad foods.
  • SkinnyFatAlbert
    SkinnyFatAlbert Posts: 482 Member
    Just don't put one up your butt. That's my only advice on this.
  • sunlover89
    sunlover89 Posts: 436 Member
    A small white potato isn't "bad" for you, but a sweet potato is better. More fibre, more vitamins, slower digesting, less impact on bloody sugar. Make sure you have ypur potato with meat, like tuna mayo, grilled chicken/fish, steak...
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Are they really that bad for you? I'm not talking about fried in oil french fries or hash browns or even drowned in butter and gravy mashed. I'm just talking about a plain old baked potato with a little butter and possibly some light sour cream.

    I was comparing a regular white potato with a sweet potato and the sweet potato is a few less calories, a few less carbs but also less protein and more sodium.

    Thoughts??



    No and no food is bad for you without context and dosage taken into consideration

    QFT!!! Having White Potatoes on the grill for supper this evening..... love em!!
  • lsmsrbls
    lsmsrbls Posts: 232 Member
    A small white potato isn't "bad" for you, but a sweet potato is better. More fibre, more vitamins, slower digesting, less impact on bloody sugar. Make sure you have ypur potato with meat, like tuna mayo, grilled chicken/fish, steak...

    Why do you say you need to have potatoes with meat?
  • awtume9
    awtume9 Posts: 423 Member
    .....are delish
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
    A small white potato isn't "bad" for you, but a sweet potato is better. More fibre, more vitamins, slower digesting, less impact on bloody sugar. Make sure you have ypur potato with meat, like tuna mayo, grilled chicken/fish, steak...

    Why do you say you need to have potatoes with meat?

    I believe that if you eat your simple carbs with a fat it reduces the glycemic impact.
    I've forgotten the hard science.... now I'll have to google and come up with a link to something legit.

    Okay, I"m baaaaack...

    Here's and excerpt and a link to a Harvard study.

    Fat content and acid content. The more fat or acid a food or meal contains, the slower its carbohydrates are converted to sugar and absorbed into the bloodstream.

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates-full-story/
  • bellesouth18
    bellesouth18 Posts: 1,071 Member
    I eat them! As a matter of fact, I'm having one for supper tonight. They're a great source of potassium.

    Edit: Just watch what you put on them. If the potato and any toppings fit in your macros, go for it!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    No...carbs, and in particular, "white" carbs are just the latest and greatest in a long line of dietary boogie men. They do have a slightly higher GI, but barring a medical condition, that really doesn't matter for most. I personally love my white starches when I need to carb load before a race. Jet fuel baby....
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    LOL!

    I never understood this one. Potatoes are one of the best foods imo. I have no idea how it can possibly be bad for you. Just more pointless scaremongering.
  • TheCalorieSMASHER
    TheCalorieSMASHER Posts: 162 Member
    Are they really that bad for you? I'm not talking about fried in oil french fries or hash browns or even drowned in butter and gravy mashed. I'm just talking about a plain old baked potato with a little butter and possibly some light sour cream.

    I was comparing a regular white potato with a sweet potato and the sweet potato is a few less calories, a few less carbs but also less protein and more sodium.

    Thoughts??

    No and no food is bad for you without context and dosage taken into consideration

    tumblr_mi1mc5jkQd1rqfhi2o1_500.gif

    Also, kitties love potatoes. How could you argue with them?

    cat-potato1.jpg
  • alexandraheaven
    alexandraheaven Posts: 1 Member
    Everything is good for you in moderation, if I eat potatoes I tend to have them at dinner but have double the amount of meat and vegetables so I keep the portion size down :) x
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    No...carbs, and in particular, "white" carbs are just the latest and greatest in a long line of dietary boogie men. They do have a slightly higher GI, but barring a medical condition, that really doesn't matter for most. I personally love my white starches when I need to carb load before a race. Jet fuel baby....

    Agreed...... I am a type 2 diabetic and white potatoes have been a staple in my diet from day one and I have lost a few pounds and my A1c's went from 10.0 to the last 2 1/2 years averaging 5.3...... nothing wrong with them in my opinion...
  • ostrichagain
    ostrichagain Posts: 271 Member
    I dreamed about them last night. Tossed in a little olive oil with fresh rosemary, garlic, sea salt and roasted. If they're bad for you, I don't want to be good.

    Plus, they are easy to grow and do well in my climate.

    It's the rich toppings and huge servings that do you in. Not the humble, nutritious potato itself.
  • sunlover89
    sunlover89 Posts: 436 Member
    A small white potato isn't "bad" for you, but a sweet potato is better. More fibre, more vitamins, slower digesting, less impact on bloody sugar. Make sure you have ypur potato with meat, like tuna mayo, grilled chicken/fish, steak...

    Why do you say you need to have potatoes with meat?

    You don't _need_ to, but a potato with butter and sour cream is hardly a balanced meal.. White potatos are a fast disgesting carb, with protein, satiety lasts longer.
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
    LOL!
    scaremongering.

    Love that word! :)

    That is exactly what happened. I love my baked potatoes. Thanks All for your input. I'm having a baked potato for supper tonight without guilt.
  • bloominheck
    bloominheck Posts: 869 Member
    Also, kitties love potatoes. How could you argue with them?

    cat-potato1.jpg
    [/quote]


    Awww. Thats how much I love my sweet potatoes....yum and my kitty too :heart:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Racists.

    :laugh:

    We aren't racist in eastern Canada we have purple potatoes too....from PEI.

    purplepotatoe_zpsba2c9c5c.png
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    A small white potato isn't "bad" for you, but a sweet potato is better. More fibre, more vitamins, slower digesting, less impact on bloody sugar. Make sure you have ypur potato with meat, like tuna mayo, grilled chicken/fish, steak...

    Why do you say you need to have potatoes with meat?

    You don't _need_ to, but a potato with butter and sour cream is hardly a balanced meal.. White potatos are a fast disgesting carb, with protein, satiety lasts longer.

    What is the digestion rate of a white potato vs a sweet potato? Why do potatoes need to be part of a "balanced" meal? What's wrong with a fast digesting carb source? Will I never feel satiated eating a white potato, regardless of the size, if I eat it alone?
  • vienna_h
    vienna_h Posts: 428 Member
    potatoes are pretty awesome. white, red, blue, sweet, they're all great.

    i eat em' all the time.

    after chocolate, it's probably the second most important food in my diet that I would never give up. ever.
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
    I eat them in moderation, around 150g and I do weigh! As part of my calorie count I really enjoy them. We get purple potatoes in the Uk too. Love the older varieties and also Jerseys, Charlottes, Roseval etc...

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