One medium potato delivers 610 mg of potassium, or roughly 17% of the daily value (DV). That's about 40% more potassium than you'll find in a banana, which only contains 422 mg, or 9% DV. In addition to potassium, 1 medium potato provides 5 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, vitamin C and magnesium.
In fact, potatoes rank highest for potassium content among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables and the top 20 most frequently consumed raw fruits. One medium potato (5.3 ounces) with the skin contains 620 mg of potassium. That's 15% of your daily requirement and more than a banana.
if you're counting calories, go for the pineapple. gram-for-gram, pineapple has less than half the calories of banana and about 30 per cent less sugar. What's more, pineapple has about four times more vitamin c than the common cavendish banana.
Potatoes are among the top sources of potassium. They have more potassium per serving than any other vegetable or fruit, including bananas, oranges, or mushrooms. Potassium is essential for normal function of muscles (like your heart), maintaining the body's electrolyte balance and maintaining the body's water balance.
1. Rich in nutrients. Potatoes contain several important nutrients, including carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. When compared to other carb-rich, staple foods, such as rice and pasta, potatoes contain fewer calories by weight, much more potassium, and very little fat.
Digestive health
Like soluble fiber, the resistant starch in potatoes acts as a prebiotic – food for the helpful bacteria in your large intestine. Like insoluble fiber, it can prevent or treat constipation and irritable bowel syndrome.
Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods. This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.
A. Yes, it is safe to consume potatoes every day as long as you cook them without much salt or saturated fats. One medium-size potato can be part of a healthy diet. It doesn't increase cardiometabolic risk and the chances of having diabetes and heart disease.
Plain baked or roasted potatoes are actually quite healthy. So why do they get a bad rap? Well, potatoes are often associated with fried, processed, and high-calorie foods. But it's not the potato that makes those things unhealthy—it's how they're prepared and what goes on them, like excessive oils and butters.
They're also chock full of starch, which is a carbohydrate. But even though a potato is considered a complex “healthy” carb, your body digests these carbs faster than other kinds of complex carbs. These broken-down carbs flood your blood with sugar. This makes your blood sugar spike quickly.
If you're a banana hater looking for a substitute, kiwi is the perfect fruit for you. Other fruits that contain nutrients similar to bananas include cantaloupes and mangos.
If boiled at least 10 minutes in a large pot of water, potassium is reduced by at least half the original amount. These potatoes will still contain 100 to 200 milligrams of potassium in a 1/2-cup serving so people on a low-potassium diet are encouraged to pay attention to portion control.
[1] However, potatoes don't count as a vegetable on Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate because they are high in the type of carbohydrate that the body digests rapidly, causing blood sugar and insulin to surge and then dip (in scientific terms, they have a high glycemic load).
Weet-Bix is a good source of B vitamins including B1 (thiamin), B2 (riboflavin) and B3 (niacin) for energy, as part of a balanced diet. Weet-Bix is high in folate! This B vitamin helps support healthy blood cells and immune system, fights fatigue and maintains a healthy mind, in combination with a balanced diet.
According to Mayo Clinic, eating lots of potatoes can lead to increased cravings for carbohydrates, which can trigger a problematic cycle that leads to more overeating. Here's how it works: After you eat them, your blood sugar spikes quickly, often causing your body to release more insulin than it needs.
The potatoes and eggs are good sources of vitamin B-6 and folate, and the eggs contribute vitamin B-12. You'll get 12 percent of the recommended daily intake of folate and 30 percent of vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12.
Eggs are also a great source of heart-healthy nutrients like potassium, folate and B vitamins. Some research suggests that up to two eggs per day actually improves heart health. As with anything, moderation is important, especially if you enjoy eggs daily.
Interestingly, potatoes are not only rich in complex carbohydrates but are also more nutrient-dense (a wide variety of minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients) as compared to white rice and white pasta. In addition, potatoes provide large amounts of fiber and are more satiating than other carbohydrate sources.
Compare 100 calories of baked potato to 100 calories of oatmeal, and you find a bit less protein (3 grams vs. 4), a bit more starch (18 grams vs. 16) and a similar mineral profile (potatoes have more potassium, but oats have more selenium). But potatoes beat out oats in just about every vitamin, as well as fiber.
Potatoes for health and nutrition
They're rich in vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. Potatoes were a life-saving food source in early times because the vitamin C prevented scurvy. Another major nutrient in potatoes is potassium, an electrolyte which aids in the workings of our heart, muscles, and nervous system.
Your friend is right. Taking white bread and white potatoes, as well as white rice and white pasta, out of your diet can be helpful for weight loss. Because of the way your body processes these four foods, they can lead to cravings for carbohydrates, also called sugars.