HWN Suggests

Pass the potatoes, or take a pass?

If you say "potato," and then say "healthy," some people might call your thinking half-baked. At best, potatoes often are seen as a starchy vegetable that lacks the status of dietary rock stars like leafy greens or carrots. At worst, taters are the basis for all kinds of salty, fatty snacks – and a metaphor for mindless inactivity. But couch varieties aside, potatoes have a place in a healthy diet, nutrition experts say. Spoiler alert: Nobody will be offering a free pass to supersize your fries. But you can find other ways to enjoy them on your holiday table or year-round – particularly if you pay attention to preparation.

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 Are Potatoes Healthy? Nutritionists Weigh In

Are potatoes healthy? At first you might think the answer is a crispy little “no.” For a vegetable, potatoes seem to have garnered a bad reputation. Perhaps it's the vegetable’s inherent beige-ness or the fact that we mash, stuff, and fry them to oblivion, which has contributed to the potato not being held in the same regard as the leafy greens of the world. But could we have it wrong? Potatoes aren’t as healthy as a cup of spinach, but they do have important health benefits. Potatoes contain a variety of vitamins and are highly effective in mitigating hunger.

 Is it true that … potatoes are bad for you?

Spuds have a reputation for causing spikes in blood sugar, but it all depends on the variety and the way it is prepared.

Articles of Interest

Are Potatoes Good For You? Everything You Need to Know About Starchy Vegetables

Recent scientific research is putting old biases to rest and proving once and for all that these tasty tubers deserve a spot on your plate. From fueling your brain to building muscle mass, take a look at how potatoes and their starchy counterparts are an essential component of a nourishing whole-food, plant-based lifestyle.

Can you survive eating nothing but potatoes?

Eating only one food probably won’t do any harm in the short term. However, there is no known food that supplies all the needs of human adults on a long-term basis.

Is there a single food that you can survive on forever?

“If you have to choose one food, if you’re one of the people that’s getting sent to Mars, choose potatoes,” says Taylor. “I’m not trying to be evangelical about potatoes, but it was a really good experience for me.”

It's OK to say 'yes' to potatoes

In addition to carbohydrates — a needed energy source for your body and brain — potatoes contain a wealth of micronutrients. They're a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. As a bonus, potatoes are low in calories, contain no fat or cholesterol, and are sodium-free. They're high in vitamin C and potassium and are a good source of vitamin B6. A medium potato, about 5.5 ounces, contains only 145 calories.

Looking to Boost Your Heart Health? Try a Baked Potato

The potato is small enough to fit inside a person’s hand yet contains enough nutrients to whittle waistlines and lower blood sugar in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Yet, despite the fact that potatoes – particularly the skins – are packed with health-boosting nutrients, they routinely get a bad rap among dieters.

Potato health benefits and why you should eat more spuds

From mashed potatoes, scalloped cheesy potatoes and the fast-food fried variety, potatoes are everywhere. They’re by far one of the most popular vegetables in America. But are potatoes good for your health? There seems to be a lot of misconceptions on the health benefits of potatoes.

Potatoes and human health

The potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tuber follows only rice and wheat in world importance as a food crop for human consumption. Cultivated potatoes have spread from the Andes of South America where they originated to 160 countries around the world. Consumption of fresh potatoes has declined while processed products have increased in popularity. As the potato becomes a staple in the diets of an increasing number of humans, small differences in potato nutritional composition will have major impacts on population health.

Potatoes: Healthy or Unhealthy?

Red potatoes have a higher nutritional content and more fiber than Russet potatoes. Potatoes can have other health benefits, but it depends on the type and the way they’re prepared.

Sweet Potatoes: Nutrition Wrapped in Vivid Flavors

Sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index (actual yams do not), and they’re an excellent source of vitamin A, in the form of beta carotene, and vitamin C. Sweet potatoes also provide vitamin B6, potassium, fiber, manganese, copper and iron. When you see the nutritional values accompanying this week’s recipes, you’ll find that sweet potatoes offer all of this at a relatively low caloric price.

White Potatoes, Human Health, and Dietary Guidance

The white potato is a concentrated source of carbohydrate, dietary fiber, and resistant starch and continues to be the staple food of choice for many cultures. The white potato is also a concentrated source of vitamin C and potassium.

Resources

Six reasons why potatoes are good for you

The humble potato has been given a bad rap. What was once a cheap staple of many countries’ diets has instead been branded in recent years an “unhealthy” food best avoided. Eating too much of any type or group of food (like carbohydrates) isn’t healthy, and some research suggests eating too many potato products in particular might be associated with higher blood pressure. But it’s typically the way we prepare and consume potatoes (like frying them) that cause negative effects. In fact, potatoes contain a lot of vitamins and other nutrients that are important for health.