In the dietary world, potatoes are constantly going in and out of fashion. On one side, they are declared as one food ‘never to eat’. On the other, potatoes were declared Vegetable of the Month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So, should we have potatoes in our diet or not? It actually depends how you prepare them.
No chips
Potatoes are very popular food all over the world for a good reason. They are rich in vitamins B and C, fiber and potassium. They contain some protein and loads of complex carbohydrates. Just one large potato will give you half of your daily need of vitamin C and B6.
Potatoes have high glycemic index, so they are no good for diabetics.
Most of vitamin C and fiber are in the skin or just under the skin, so baked potato with skin is your best option. It will have to be organic potato, though, since the skin of normal potatoes is full of pesticides.
Sweet vs. white potato
For some reason, sweet potatoes have much better reputation than regular, white kind. There is no real nutritional reason for that, since the difference in their vitamin content is very small. There are some other differences worth choosing the sweet potato. They are very rich in antioxidants, beta-carotene, pro-vitamin E, anthocyanins and sporamins. Antioxidants are known to lower the risk of cancer or heart disease. Sweet potatoes are also very rich in vitamin A. Their glycemic index is lower than regular potatoes. That not only means that they can be consumed by diabetics, but that they will keep you feel full longer.
The real difference between the two kinds of potatoes is our culinary habit. Most of white potatoes are consumed as French fries or chips. On the other hand, sweet potatoes are commonly boiled or baked.
There is no real reason to avoid having potatoes altogether, but to be reasonable and imaginative in their use. Potato salads with low calorie dressing, potato soups, baked potatoes with yoghurt instead of sour cream, baked potato chips instead of fried ” ¦The list of ways to eat potatoes in limited only by your imagination, as long as your imagination stays away from your deep fryer.
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