Potatoes hate!

SuperSexyDork
SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Why do so many people around hate potatoes???

I see people all the time call white potatoes empty calories and nutritionally void... but are they really?

I mean, I don't see all that hate over bananas. Is that because they're more nutritionally sound or is it because they haven't become the scapegoat of the food world like potatoes?

To prove my point to someone (who thinks that freelee the banana girl is a good person to emulate), I simply did a Google search for both foods and compared them gram for gram... here is the result.

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As you can see, potatoes are less calorically dense. They also contain less carbs and less sugar while having a comparable amount of fiber. At the same time, the only micronutrient that bananas have more of is Vitamin B-6 and it's only 5% higher than the levels found in potatoes...

So... why are potatoes villains again?

Replies

  • frankiesgirl21
    frankiesgirl21 Posts: 235 Member
    You hear a lot about bananas being bad for the glycemic index or something. I am not super knowledgeable on all that. I don't eat either because I seem to tend toward insulin resistance. Can be common for those of us that are hypothyroid I guess. I don't really understand it all. Anyway, I seem to lose better and feel better limiting my carb intake. But that all being said, I am with you. I would eat the potato first and skip the banana. More potassium which is good for controlling blood pressure too....
  • Padzster
    Padzster Posts: 75 Member
    They're great for you!
    Check this out http://www.eufic.org/article/en/nutrition/fibre/artid/Goodness-in-Potatoes/
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,250 Member
    Bananas are the devil's *kitten*. I love potatoes.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • aneary1980
    aneary1980 Posts: 461 Member
    First I'm not a potato hater.

    Your point is good but when you eat any type of potato in a meal you are probably going to have more (in weight) than you would consume in a normal banana.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Mmmm....potatoes.
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
    acid_picdump_95.jpg
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    It's because Potatoes are brown so a depressing colour. Everyone loves a Banana because of their happy yellow colour
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Bananas are the devil's *kitten*. I love potatoes.
    laughssssssssss
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    First I'm not a potato hater.

    Your point is good but when you eat any type of potato in a meal you are probably going to have more (in weight) than you would consume in a normal banana.

    Not sure what your point here is.....yes I will eat more weight in potatoe (average about 150g-200g, when I eat them, vs 100g banana) But if they both fit in my calories and macros for the day, how is either a bad thing?
  • glitterysam
    glitterysam Posts: 36 Member
    I really want some potatoes now...
  • misschoppo
    misschoppo Posts: 463 Member
    acid_picdump_95.jpg

    :happy:
  • ksy1969
    ksy1969 Posts: 700 Member
    First I'm not a potato hater.

    Your point is good but when you eat any type of potato in a meal you are probably going to have more (in weight) than you would consume in a normal banana.

    Nope!!! Just weigh it out like a banana.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    First I'm not a potato hater.

    Your point is good but when you eat any type of potato in a meal you are probably going to have more (in weight) than you would consume in a normal banana.

    What the heck does that have to do with anything?

    So you're saying you should eat a big mac over an equal caloric sized salad, because the big mac weighs less?
  • Ooolah
    Ooolah Posts: 1 Member
    Bananas are the devil's *kitten*. I love potatoes.

    Brilliant - got a laugh out of me that did x
  • 2dogzrule
    2dogzrule Posts: 245 Member
    Eh, potatoes rock! They especially rock when they are fresh from your garden!
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    I never understood that one either. I mean OK, I sorta get the hate against highly processed foods and maybe even bread (even though it's still just fear mongering), but why potatoes??? They have a lot of fiber and potassium and other vitamins.

    If any tater haters are out there, please provide us some good scientific evidence of their evilness. I really want to know why.

    eta grammar fail
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    People hate individual foods like potatoes because they are stupid and don't understand anything about nutrition or their body's needs. Well perhaps ignorant would be a better word than stupid. But there's also a lot of stupid about, too.

    True story.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    I eat Bananas. I eat Potatoes. I don't discriminate.
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    It's because Potatoes are brown so a depressing colour. Everyone loves a Banana because of their happy yellow colour

    So eat red & purple potatoes, problem solved!
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    Who do they hate? Sweet potatoes?
  • RabbitLost
    RabbitLost Posts: 333 Member
    Potatoes rock! How else am I going to get my butter and sour cream ration for the day? On a banana? I think not!
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    It's not that they are unnutritional it's because of the carb content. If someone is wanting to lower their carb intake they are not the best thing to be eating.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'll take a potato over a banana any day.
  • WonkaCat
    WonkaCat Posts: 42
    I love potatoes of all kinds. White, sweet, purple, red - they are all good. Everything in moderation.
  • TheBrolympus
    TheBrolympus Posts: 586 Member
    I think the potato got a bad image when it starting hanging around with all those Fryers.
  • Grumpsandwich
    Grumpsandwich Posts: 368 Member
    well to be fair, i have insulin resistance and my endo and nutritionist told me to stay away from white potatoes AND bananas so i do :D (well i will have no more than half a small banana on a given day ) I dont get the boost from eating a potato, or white pastas or breads. I seriously get so tired i want to fall asleep soon after. doesnt happen with whole grains or sweet potato ( But i will absolutely indulge ever now n then with french fries or mash as they are my favorite foods in the world lol, Just not often and never during the day cause they really do make me sleepy, there is no energy boost followed by the low, just the low and hard, i call it a carb coma :P )
  • WitchesGuildMaster
    WitchesGuildMaster Posts: 114
    Eh. I honestly don't care what I eat overall and much less about potatoes and bananas. I've eaten worse things. Like a can of spaghetti for lunch (Oh the sugar! The sodium! The HORROR) or a box of chocolate truffles for dinner. (What?! THE UNSPEAKABLE DISASTERS!) :laugh:
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
    I eat both. :smile: If it fits into my calorie goal, I eat it. Both are great sources of potassium and are just good in general.

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