sweet potatoes vs regular potatoes

jellybaby84
jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
edited October 4 in Food and Nutrition
I know that sweet potatoes are better for you but can anyone explain why to me please? I've looked at the nutritional info for both on MFP and they seem almost identical, certainly in terms of calories, carbs and fat!

I have a baked potato nearly every night for dinner but don't have time to cook it from scratch so bulk cook a load once or twice a week and just reheat them as needed (no microwave). I tried to do this with sweet potatoes but didn't realise that they don't reheat well - just a kind of greyish slime inside when I tried it!

So, any opinions? Are regular potatoes okay for you? Are sweet potatoes really so much better?

Replies

  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/food_myths/Sweet_Potatoes_are_Better.php
  • patiencez2
    patiencez2 Posts: 160 Member
    Sweet potatoes are a slow burning carb. White potatoes are a fast burning carb. so sweet potatoes stay with you longer.
  • kiwi1855
    kiwi1855 Posts: 218 Member
    The carbohydrates in a sweet potato are more complex carbohydrates. It takes more effort for your body to break these down, and your blood sugar doesn't spike as much as with a regular potato. If you have a risk of diabetes/have diabetes, sweet potatoes are better for you, as they don't break down into sugar as rapidly as the simple carbohydrates in regular potatoes.

    If you are going to stick with regular potatoes, try to stick with yellow or russet potatoes. From what I've heard, those are less sweet (less simple carbohydrates) than the red skinned potatoes.
  • amysj303
    amysj303 Posts: 5,086 Member
    I have heard that it is a myth, that sweet potatos are better, but the Jamie Eason Live Fit 12 week Trainer seems to imply they are a better choice, although it doesn't say why...
  • Puffins1958
    Puffins1958 Posts: 614 Member
    When I had gone to my nutritionalist, she told me to have sweet potatoes with cinnamom, she said that they were so much healthier than regular "white" potatoes. I also heard that anything white is not as healthy, ie....bread, flour.
    Just my opinion, I hope this helps you.
  • Athena413
    Athena413 Posts: 1,709 Member
    As far as re-heating...try cubing sweet potatoes and steaming them instead. I LOVE steamed sweet potatoes and will make enough for my lunches on Sunday and they seem to re-heat just fine all week long.
  • MissMollieK
    MissMollieK Posts: 316 Member
    take a sw. potato, wrap in saran wrap and stick in microwave about 6 or so minutes raw. It will come out perfect depending on size of the potato. I do this almost everytime and love it:)
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    Sweet have a lot more fiber in them. They don't convert to sugar as fast. They are less calories.
  • easfahl
    easfahl Posts: 567 Member
    Think I'll have to try both the cubed steamed version and the plain wrapped in saran version. Love how easy they are!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,224 Member
    Regular potatoes are fine. Sweet potato has more fiber and obviously more beta-carotene but they're both close. Don't sweat it.
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
    yams and sw's are so yummy and versatile. with cinnamon and a few grains of salt...MMMMM. i bake all of mine at once then put in a ziploc bag in the freezer..they reheat wonderfully. mixed with albacore and mrs dash....mmmmmmmmm.
    they are a superb source of carotene and are indeed a complex carb.
  • jellybaby84
    jellybaby84 Posts: 583 Member
    Will definitely try the steaming idea, thanks :) I love my steamer, couldn't do without it for meat.

    Sadly, have no microwave so can't try the wrap one.

    MikeIz, they aren't fewer calories I don't think - MFP puts them at almost eactly the same.

    Thanks for the link at the top
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    yams and sw's are so yummy and versatile. with cinnamon and a few grains of salt...MMMMM. i bake all of mine at once then put in a ziploc bag in the freezer..they reheat wonderfully. mixed with albacore and mrs dash....mmmmmmmmm.
    they are a superb source of carotene and are indeed a complex carb.


    This, and not to threadjack but Cathleenr - your dog is gorgeous.
  • Shelby814
    Shelby814 Posts: 273 Member
    Sweet potato fries are one of my new most favorite things. Cutting the raw potato is a challenge because they're so hard, but making them is easy. Spray a cookie sheet with butter flavored Pam. Spread the wedges/fries out & spray them on top with the Pam. Bake them at 350 degrees or so until done (approx 20 min). They'd probably get done quicker at a higher temp, but I usually put them in the oven with whatever else I'm cooking. Sprinkle with cinnamon (6 calories/tsp). Fabulous!
  • jjbraid
    jjbraid Posts: 54 Member
    I always thought of sweet potatoes as that mushy mess that looks like baby food. Recently my sister introduced me to a way to eat them that even got my mother (who never eats any vegetables) eating them and asking for more. I slice them up, put on baking sheet, sprinkle with cajan seasoning and cook on each side for 13 min at a 450 oven. There are never any left over.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    Regular potatoes are fine. Sweet potato has more fiber and obviously more beta-carotene but they're both close. Don't sweat it.

    ^ This.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    I prefer the sweet potato for the higher fiber, higher vitamin content, and somewhat lower GI value.
  • almille
    almille Posts: 89
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2770/2 potato
    http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2667/2 sweet potato
  • mehaugen
    mehaugen Posts: 210 Member
    Red potatoes are lower glycemic than russet potatoes, so you could try those.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    You decide:

    http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=sweet+potato+100g

    http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=russet+potato+100g
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
    Sublog, Wolfram is awesome. I took the liberty of putting them on the same page:
    http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=sweet+potato+100g+and+russet+potato+100g

    I'm kinda shocked, Russets are more calories, but, more fiber, protein, and less sugar. I have to rethink this now!

    Thanks!

    - Mike
  • exacerbe
    exacerbe Posts: 447 Member
    Sweet potato fries are one of my new most favorite things. Cutting the raw potato is a challenge because they're so hard, but making them is easy. Spray a cookie sheet with butter flavored Pam. Spread the wedges/fries out & spray them on top with the Pam. Bake them at 350 degrees or so until done (approx 20 min). They'd probably get done quicker at a higher temp, but I usually put them in the oven with whatever else I'm cooking. Sprinkle with cinnamon (6 calories/tsp). Fabulous!

    This! Sweet potato fries are the best!
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member

    I'm kinda shocked, Russets are more calories, but, more fiber, protein, and less sugar. I have to rethink this now!

    Thanks!

    - Mike

    I truly think that the reason most people choose sweet potatoes is because of the myth that glycemic index is important to weight loss, which for the vast majority, it isn't, IMO*




    * = Not sure if it even matters for people with diabetes or glycemic/insulin issues, so I should go learn that.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    GI is not inherently significant to weight loss specifically.

    As someone who was well down the path of metabolic syndrome, it had practical application in dealing with hypoglycemic episodes and was overcoming insulin resistant tendencies.

    Exercise also played a major factor in better regulating blood sugar. Dropping close to 50lbs also helped. The blood work bore out all three tools work well together.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I know that sweet potatoes are better for you but can anyone explain why to me please? I've looked at the nutritional info for both on MFP and they seem almost identical, certainly in terms of calories, carbs and fat!

    I have a baked potato nearly every night for dinner but don't have time to cook it from scratch so bulk cook a load once or twice a week and just reheat them as needed (no microwave). I tried to do this with sweet potatoes but didn't realise that they don't reheat well - just a kind of greyish slime inside when I tried it!

    So, any opinions? Are regular potatoes okay for you? Are sweet potatoes really so much better?
    Yes regular potatoes are good!
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