Potatoes: Poe-tae-toe, Poe-tah-toe

Okay, so I so know that whites are bad for my blood sugar like white breads, pastas, rice, etc.
I've since changed all the carbs I eat which has been working wonders!
Now, I'd love to eat a bake potato, but I don't know the healthier version of it...
White potatoes would be....russets i guess?
Are sweet potatoes okay?
If sweet potatoes are okay to eat, what other potatoes are "clean"?
I'm trying to make good lifestyle changes and I don't think I can avoid potatoes for the rest of my life.
Plus, if I cook for others, I want them to eat healthy too, but still enjoy and feel full.
Any help is appreciated, thanks!

-Bonnie
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Replies

  • jadedhippo
    jadedhippo Posts: 95 Member
    There's nothing wrong with potatoes.
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Stop making things so difficult for yourself and stop labeling foods as good or bad or clean or dirty. Eat the potato.
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    Wholemeal potatoes.

    Seriously...make friends with sweet potatoes. Far more nutrients than the regular spud.
  • AmandaForKeeps
    AmandaForKeeps Posts: 47 Member
    We eat sweet potatoes often. Bake them whole, sweet potato baked fries, mashed up and mixed with quinoa, etc. However, you don't have to avoid the good ol' russet. Every once in awhile, I want a potato, so i have one (usually cut up, tossed with olive oil and s&p, and baked. Holy yum!!).
  • Not trying to make things difficult for myself.
    I feel a lot better and don't feel lethargic after eating whole grains now.
    Just wanted some advice on which potatoes are the better kind to eat,
    you know like custard based ice cream vs. frozen yogurt.
    The frozen yogurt tastes great, but is much healthier for you than the saturated custard ice creams.

    Please no negativity, I'm all about helping others, encouragement, and honest advice.
  • ooo... I've never thought about using quinoa into mashed potatoes. I think that's a wonderful idea, thanks so much for that tip!
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    repeat after me ..carbs are not the devil...carbs are not the devil..

    you can eat white carbs, brown carbs, black carbs, whatever carbs as long as you stay within your calorie goal for the day and carb macro goal for the day....

    carbs do not make you gain weight, overeating does...

    This advice is based on no underlying medical condition that would make you carb sensitive...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Not trying to make things difficult for myself.
    I feel a lot better and don't feel lethargic after eating whole grains now.
    Just wanted some advice on which potatoes are the better kind to eat,
    you know like custard based ice cream vs. frozen yogurt.
    The frozen yogurt tastes great, but is much healthier for you than the saturated custard ice creams.

    Please no negativity, I'm all about helping others, encouragement, and honest advice.

    all potatoes are pretty much created equal ...one is not "bad" while another is "good" ....
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    tumblr_mu585jP5sY1sj3oxho1_500.gif

    Potatoes are not evil.

    If you're going to be racist against potatoes, then eat the sweet (orange/red inside, also called yams) potatoes.
  • bridgie101
    bridgie101 Posts: 817 Member
    Okay, so I so know that whites are bad for my blood sugar like white breads, pastas, rice, etc.
    I've since changed all the carbs I eat which has been working wonders!
    Now, I'd love to eat a bake potato, but I don't know the healthier version of it...
    White potatoes would be....russets i guess?
    Are sweet potatoes okay?
    If sweet potatoes are okay to eat, what other potatoes are "clean"?
    I'm trying to make good lifestyle changes and I don't think I can avoid potatoes for the rest of my life.
    Plus, if I cook for others, I want them to eat healthy too, but still enjoy and feel full.
    Any help is appreciated, thanks!

    -Bonnie

    There's nothing wrong with potatoes. they are full of vitamins, they have a lower gi than sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are worse for your blood sugar.

    Potatoes have a high satiety rating and you should eat as many as you like, within your carb limits.

    Do you have diabetes or something?
  • Sweet potatoes and cumin go very well together. I wrap my potatoe in foil and cook it in the oven until soft, then mash the inside and add cumin to it, you can then put it back in the skin and back in the oven to let it crisp at the top. No butter, no oil, just cumin and a bit of salt fakes on top if you're a salt addict like me.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
    You say potato, I say vodka.
  • texerus
    texerus Posts: 62 Member
    Potato is the fruit of the ground. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sauté it. There are potato-kabobs, potato creole, and potato gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple potato, lemon potato, coconut potato, pepper potato, potato soup, potato stew, potato salad, potato and potatoes, potato burger, potato sandwich.

    And yes, potato vodka.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    Not trying to make things difficult for myself.
    I feel a lot better and don't feel lethargic after eating whole grains now.
    Just wanted some advice on which potatoes are the better kind to eat,
    you know like custard based ice cream vs. frozen yogurt.
    The frozen yogurt tastes great, but is much healthier for you than the saturated custard ice creams.

    Please no negativity, I'm all about helping others, encouragement, and honest advice.

    No one is being negative. The advice you are being given is helpful. The debate of white potatoes vs sweet potatoes, which one is "good" and which is "bad" is pointless. Eat whichever potato you want. Not feeling lethargic after eating whole grains is all in your head honestly. 100g of sweet potato or 100g of white potato almost have equal nutritional values - Sweet potatoes being slightly higher calories and carbs because of the natural sugars. Honest advice - don't complicate your life. Unless you have a form of insulin resistance or are carb sensitive, just eat your carbs according to your daily goals. Focus on nutrient dense foods for overall health, but have fun as well. Carbs aren't bad. Now ditch the potato and have some ice cream!
  • Mere_Dith
    Mere_Dith Posts: 17 Member
    If you really want a baked white potato, have one. Just don't load it up with butter and sour cream, that's what makes them unhealthy. They are delicious with salsa! Don't forget to eat the skin, that's where you get the nutrients and fiber.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Wholemeal potatoes.

    Seriously...make friends with sweet potatoes. Far more nutrients than the regular spud.

    Yeah, no

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2547/2

    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2666/2
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    Why do you think there is anything wrong with potatoes?

    They are actually a great source of potassium.
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member

    If sweet potatoes are okay to eat, what other potatoes are "clean"?

    Isn't the idea of eating 'clean' to eat whole, unprocessed foods? In which case, a potato is clean.

    I could have completely misinterpreted that to be fair, I like my apparently dirty foods too much to investigate it.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Are you diabetic?

    If not, have a freaking potato.
  • dieselbyte
    dieselbyte Posts: 733 Member
    If you really want a baked white potato, have one. Just don't load it up with butter and sour cream, that's what makes them unhealthy. They are delicious with salsa! Don't forget to eat the skin, that's where you get the nutrients and fiber.

    "Loading" a potato with butter and sour cream isn't what makes it unhealthy. Over-consumption of said condiments outside of your goals is what has the potential to make it unhealthy. One can live a healthy lifestyle, lose weight (maintain or gain weight, whichever is the goal), and still enjoy a loaded baked potato. Moderation in diet is key. One cannot determine health by focusing on a paticular food, or group of foods, outside the context of one's overall diet.
  • White potatoes get a bad rap. They are not "bad" like white rice or white bread. The bread and rice are only white because they are processed to be so, which takes out the important nutrients. White potatoes are high in things like vitamin C and potassium. The "bad" thing about white potatoes is that a lot of times people fry them and/or slather them with butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese, etc. (AKA my husband, LOL.)

    I am a diabetic and don't seem to have any spikes or issues with potatoes, unlike with things like white pasta (yum!) or bread.
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    Now I am craving potato/sweet potato fries
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Ooooo... I like this thread! Sweet potato with quinoa & cumin sounds great, too!!!
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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Sweet potatoes...ick...

    I live in potato country...right smack dab in the middle of McCain Land...(yes their head office) and it's harvest time, I love going to the fields and picking up the new potatoes that the harvester misses (cause they are too small)...

    Even as a diabetic (my brother has been since he was six) you can eat potatoes.

    Potatoes are yummy....specially with butter and Plain greek yogurt mixed with Hidden valley ranch powdered dressing instead of sour cream.
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
    I love potatoes far too much to give them up entirely! Just can't make myself try sweet potatoes. I think its an aversion to the cloyingly sweet version mashed and covered in marshmellows. Yuck!
  • AmandaForKeeps
    AmandaForKeeps Posts: 47 Member
    I love potatoes far too much to give them up entirely! Just can't make myself try sweet potatoes. I think its an aversion to the cloyingly sweet version mashed and covered in marshmellows. Yuck!

    I never liked sweet potatoes because I thought that is what they were, too! Then, when I was in college, my dorm mate would "bake" them in the microwave and I had a chance to taste them with a bit of salt. I fell in love! :)
  • kawookie
    kawookie Posts: 813 Member
    So to summarize:

    Potatoes of any sort are healthy. Sweet potatoes are given the nod over the other family members because they have more nutrients. It is a good idea to eat the skin of a potato.

    There are many options for how to cook 'em. The less fat involved the less calories it will cost you. I like baked potatoes with greek yogurt, low fat cheddar cheese, broccoli and bacon bits. It is a good lunch or dinner :D

    Sweet potatoes are better than yams in my humble opinion (yellow vs orange flesh). I am not a fan of the brown sugar/marshmallow version because it is too sweet to be anything but gross. Our family really likes sweet potatoes in our breakfast scrambles with onions, mushrooms, peppers, egg whites and some type of potato. Sometimes we add salsa or cheese or even guacamole.


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  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I love and eat both sweet and russet and Yukon gold and purple (although not easy to find). I guess it is in my Polish heritage to love any type of potato. The problem isn't the vegetable it is the fatty toppings people put on them.
  • Not trying to make things difficult for myself.
    I feel a lot better and don't feel lethargic after eating whole grains now.
    Just wanted some advice on which potatoes are the better kind to eat,
    you know like custard based ice cream vs. frozen yogurt.
    The frozen yogurt tastes great, but is much healthier for you than the saturated custard ice creams.

    Please no negativity, I'm all about helping others, encouragement, and honest advice.

    No one is being negative. The advice you are being given is helpful. The debate of white potatoes vs sweet potatoes, which one is "good" and which is "bad" is pointless. Eat whichever potato you want. Not feeling lethargic after eating whole grains is all in your head honestly. 100g of sweet potato or 100g of white potato almost have equal nutritional values - Sweet potatoes being slightly higher calories and carbs because of the natural sugars. Honest advice - don't complicate your life. Unless you have a form of insulin resistance or are carb sensitive, just eat your carbs according to your daily goals. Focus on nutrient dense foods for overall health, but have fun as well. Carbs aren't bad. Now ditch the potato and have some ice cream!
    Yup. Especially to the ice cream part.


    Wholemeal potatoes.

    Seriously...make friends with sweet potatoes. Far more nutrients than the regular spud.
    LOL. No

    Man you are great at spreading bro science

    Maybe you should compare the vitamin A amounts in the two types before laying on the bro science accusation - the statement isn't strictly incorrect.