[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).
But a word of caution: “Skinless white potatoes have a very high glycemic index — meaning they raise your blood sugar quickly,” says Kate Patton, MEd, RD, CSSD, LD. Depending on what you eat with a skinless white potato, you may experience a blood sugar crash and quick drop in energy.
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.
A baked, boiled, or roasted white potato is not the same as refined, heavily processed foods. Any type of potato is a nutrient-rich whole food.
According to Julie Upton, MS, RD, and member of our Medical Expert Board, the healthiest way to eat your potatoes is to leave the skin on and bake them. "The healthiest way to eat a potato is baking it with the skin on," says Upton. "Baked potatoes add no additional calories like frying or roasting with oil."
Red Desiree Potatoes are part of the Red Potato family and are considered to be the healthiest of all potatoes, as they contain the highest levels of vitamins, minerals and healthy phytochemicals.
Eating one medium-size potato a day can be part of a healthy diet and doesn't increase cardiometabolic risk — the chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke — as long as the potato is steamed or baked, and prepared without adding too much salt or saturated fat, a study by nutritionists at The Pennsylvania ...
Sprouted potatoes contain higher levels of glycoalkaloids, which can be toxic to humans when eaten in excess.
How do potatoes affect blood sugar levels? Like any other carb-containing food, potatoes increase blood sugar levels. When you eat them, your body breaks down the carbs into simple sugars that move into your bloodstream.
Nightshade vegetables, such as potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants, contain solanine. This substance may increase the leakiness of the intestines and affect the gastrointestinal microbiota, indirectly increasing the inflammation relating to arthritis.
If you compare the antioxidant activity of white potatoes, yellow potatoes, and purple potatoes, Yukon gold have about twice the antioxidant power as white, but purple has twenty times the antioxidants, comparable to what you might see in berries.
The Healthiest Potato is the Red Potato
After taking into account the mineral density, the vitamin density, the macronutrient balance, the sugar-to-fiber ratio, the sodium-to-potassium ratio, and the phytochemical profile, red potatoes are the healthiest potato with data from the USDA Food Database.
Boiled potatoes are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium, phosphorus, B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. They are low in calories and fat, and their high fiber content helps you feel full. Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are not inherently fattening.
Sweet potatoes contain more calories, carbohydrates and fat than regular boiled potato, but the regular potato had more protein. Perhaps unsurprisingly, boiled sweet potatoes contain more than 14 times the amount of sugar of regular boiled potatoes (11.6g compared to 0.8g per 100g).
Potatoes are rich in soluble fibre, which can be consumed by high cholesterol patients without any confusion. Consuming potatoes not only maintains the cholesterol level, but the body also gets many health benefits.
While they can certainly be prepared in unhealthy ways—such as oil-drenched french fries or salty potato chips—potatoes in and of themselves are not unhealthy; in fact, they're incredibly nutritious and are foundational to a whole-food, plant-based diet.
Since the starch in potatoes is rapidly digested, the glycemic index of potatoes can be almost as high as that of glucose alone. The glycemic index of glucose is 100 points; potatoes are usually listed as being in the high 80s or low 90s. However, potatoes have a higher GI score than table sugar.
Potatoes are 80 percent water, so softness is usually just a sign of dehydration. But if they're extremely mushy or shriveled, do not pass go. Likewise, small sprouts can be removed with a vegetable peeler or knife. Long or large sprouts are a sign that the potato is probably past its prime and should be tossed.
Both rice and potatoes are great thanks to their fat content being less than 1g, which makes them perfect candidates for weight-loss foods. Vitamin-wise, rice is a great source of vitamin B spectrum, while potatoes have gotten their good reputation in vitamin C content as one of the highest amongst vegetables.
White potatoes are a good source of resistant starch - a prebiotic that feeds beneficial fora in the colon. The bacteria in the gut then produces short-chain fatty acids, which can heal the gut lining and reduce inflammation.
Potatoes. As long as you don't deep fry them or load them with unhealthy toppings, a couple of servings of potatoes a week is great for your heart health. Potatoes are high in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure. They are also loaded with fiber, which has been shown to help lower the risk of heart disease.
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.
Overall, potatoes contain more vitamins and nutrients than rice, but when you add toppings such as butter, sour cream, gravy, bacon bits and salt, the number of calories and fat grams in a baked potato increases significantly.
Besides offering a lower-starch option, cauliflower also packs a lot more nutrition than a simple white potato or white rice, especially the latter.