Potatoes - Not as bad for you as you think

Mindful_Trent · February 2011

Potatoes have a really bad reputation. When people think of potatoes, they think of french fries, loaded mashed potatoes, chips, etc. But those foods aren't unhealthy because of the potato, they're unhealthy because of how we cook the potato and what we add to it. All by itself, potatoes are actually a fairly low-calorie, high-fiber, HEALTHY source of carbohydrates. Sweet Potatoes are a bit healthier (they are higher in vitamins/minerals) but White Potatoes aren't too shabby either. I'm not saying we should be eating them with every meal, but they certainly don't deserve to be black-listed from anyone's kitchen!

1 cup of baked potato with skin (122 g) is only 133 calories, 3g protein, 31g carbs, <1g fat. It is a good source of the following: Vitamin C, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper, Fiber, and Tryptophan (an essential amino acid that plays an important role in the nervous system, especially related to relaxation, restfulness & sleep).

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48

I love a good baked potato, topped with a *small* amount of butter or sour cream, or sometimes yogurt... especially as a post-workout snack when I need to replenish my carbs... and I dont' feel a drop of guilt when I eat them. It's all about the preparation method and common sense. :drinker:

Jizes318 · February 2011

Good to know! I love Potatoes so will not feel so guilty

loxleys · February 2011

Oh yes - I love your post - potatoes are a great staple in anyones diet, just not the fried type.

Can you find some good info about the rest of the baddies - rice, pasta, noodles, cous cous......

purpleprose · February 2011

I made baked sweet potatoes with turkey burgers last night and oh my goodness it was yummy! My roommate and I added just a touch of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar and it was delicious! I also occasionally julienne them, toss them in a bit of EVOO and sea salt, then bake them so they're a sort of "french fry" treat without being deep-fried and oily.

Potatoes in and of themselves aren't bad - it's the frying, processing, and additives that make them bad!

eellis2000 · February 2011

Just like alot of other foods moderation and the way they are cooked. ie apples are good for you but apple pie... not so much.

Mindful_Trent · February 2011

Oh yes - I love your post - potatoes are a great staple in anyones diet, just not the fried type.

Can you find some good info about the rest of the baddies - rice, pasta, noodles, cous cous......

I'm personally not a huge advocate of pasta/noodles (Cous-Cous is a type of pasta - it is wheat coated in flour) - I prefer food as un-processed as possible, and those are more processed than whole grains (barley, oats), and other carbs like potatoes, quinoa, etc.

Here's a page (from that same site) on brown rice (which I recommend way more than white - they explain on this page why): http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=128
As you can see, though, brown rice is higher in calories and doesn't have the variety of vitamins/nutrients compared to potatoes.

Quinoa, for those not familiar with it, is actually a seed that cooks up very similarly to rice and cous-cous. I prefer it to rice - I like the flavor and texture more in quinoa. It is high in quite a few nutrients, and has about 5.5g of protein in 1/4 of a cup (uncooked). http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142

pgp_protector · February 2011

I'm not a cook, but I like to nuke my Potato, add just a bit of I can't believe it's not butter, and then the yummies (Crushed Chilly Peppers and some Seasoning From Hell)

meggonkgonk · February 2011

Thank you so much for posting this! I get really frustrated with the "anti-potato" campaign.

Black_Swan · February 2011

Makes me want to eat a potato RIGHT NOW...yum!

purpleprose · February 2011

Oh yes - I love your post - potatoes are a great staple in anyones diet, just not the fried type.

Can you find some good info about the rest of the baddies - rice, pasta, noodles, cous cous......

If you're worried about rice or pasta, make sure to buy whole wheat pasta and brown rice. There's loads of available info on the internet (and this site) that highlight brands and the fact that you can eat them in moderation. Just follow serving suggestions!

I eat whole wheat pasta and brown rice fairly frequently with minimal adverse effects. But I'm an everything in moderation type of girl.

Mindful_Trent · February 2011

*bump*

DKWaggoner · February 2011

This is true but we diabetics do have to keep potatoes to a minimum.I know when I eat potatoes it spikes the ole blood sugar

Mindful_Trent · February 2011

This is true but we diabetics do have to keep potatoes to a minimum.I know when I eat potatoes it spikes the ole blood sugar

Thanks for pointing that out - I'm not diabetic and don't always think about that.

Some average glycemic index comparisons, for those who are interested
(The lower the better - it spikes your blood sugar less):

Russet Potato - 85
Sweet Potato - 61
Yam - 37
Cous-Cous - 65
White Rice - 64
Brown Rice - 55
White Spaghetti (cooked 20 min) - 67
White Spaghetti (cooked 5 min) - 38
Whole Grain Spaghetti - 37
Quinoa - 62

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5705/2

lisafrancis629 · March 2011

This is true but we diabetics do have to keep potatoes to a minimum.I know when I eat potatoes it spikes the ole blood sugar

Thanks for pointing that out - I'm not diabetic and don't always think about that.

Some average glycemic index comparisons, for those who are interested
(The lower the better - it spikes your blood sugar less):

Russet Potato - 85
Sweet Potato - 61
Yam - 37
Cous-Cous - 65
White Rice - 64
Brown Rice - 55
White Spaghetti (cooked 20 min) - 67
White Spaghetti (cooked 5 min) - 38
Whole Grain Spaghetti - 37
Quinoa - 62

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5705/2

Very interesting. Thank you so much for posting.

caprica · March 2011

I wish everything was clear cut. How many carbs (and hence starchy carbs like potato) you should consume depends on more factors than just how it is prepared.

If you are insulin resistant, then you should be consuming far less potato than your average Joe. If you are someone who is into lots of cardio, like accountant boi, then you can probably tolerate more potato.

Mindful_Trent · March 2011

I wish everything was clear cut. How many carbs (and hence starchy carbs like potato) you should consume depends on more factors than just how it is prepared.

If you are insulin resistant, then you should be consuming far less potato than your average Joe. If you are someone who is into lots of cardio, like accountant boi, then you can probably tolerate more potato.

I think you missed my point. Obviously the *amount* of carbs (and thus starchy carbs) someone should eat is going to depend on their activity level, whether their diabetic, overall calorie goal, etc. I'm not saying everyone should start eating a ton of potatoes every day - I'm just saying that they're not the "evil" that many people make them out to be. I've seen so many people say that they refuse to eat potatoes anymore. That's unfortunate because they have some good qualities, and can be healthy carbs for almost anyone. Even someone who doesn't do a ton of cardio needs a certain amount of carbs a day - and consuming moderate amounts of starchy carbs like potatoes can fit into almost any diet. Obviously the biggest negative is the glycemic index factor - but for those of us who aren't diabetics, potatoes can easily fit into a healthy diet. The amount of potatoes or starchy carbs or carbs in general will depend on our calorie goals and lifestyle - but that wasn't the point of my post.

Potatoes - Not as bad for you as you think

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