Potatoes have been maligned as easily digesting carbohydrates that contribute to weight gain. While potato chips and fries are not the healthiest options, baked or boiled potatoes provide a number of important nutrients. Understand the nutritional value of potatoes before dismissing them from your diet plan.
Weight Control
One medium-size baked potato with the skin, weighing about 173 g, provides 161 calories. A potato has only trace amounts of fat and 4 g of protein. In addition, a baked potato provides 4 g of fiber, which in addition to helping your digestion and lower cholesterol can make you feel full.
Vitamins and Minerals
Potatoes are a source of many vitamins and minerals. One medium baked potato provides 28 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C and 10 percent for iron, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. A potato also provides 27 percent of the RDA for vitamin B6, which helps promote energy, and 14 percent for folate, essential to red blood cell development and the prevention of specific birth defects in fetuses. A medium baked potato has 926 mg of potassium, more than double that of a small banana. Potassium assists in the regulation of fluids and minerals in the body.
Considerations
The 37 g of carbohydrates in a baked potato provide you with energy and fit into a healthy diet plan. The Institute of Medicine recommends consuming between 45 percent and 65 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this is 225 to 325 g of carbohydrates per day. Eat the skin on your potatoes to maximize their health benefits. If you consume just the flesh, you obtain only half of the fiber and 240 mg less potassium.
Cooking Options
A baked potato is a healthy option as long as you leave off the sour cream and cheese. Eat them instead with non-fat Greek yogurt, chopped herbs and salsa. Make mashed potatoes healthy by boiling potatoes with the skin and mashing with garlic and olive oil instead of butter. Roast unpeeled, new potatoes with fresh rosemary and a small amount of olive oil. You can even slice potatoes, spray with olive oil and place them on the grill as an alternative to french fries.
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