Are Potatoes Healthy For You?

ByMacy Michelle

There’s so much confusion when it comes to potatoes. Have you ever read or been told that sweet potatoes are better for you than white potatoes? Are potatoes healthy for you?

When I started my health and fitness journey– I believed this too! Until recently, when I dove into educating myself, I didn’t know how white potatoes compared to sweet potatoes based on nutrition facts. 

According to Heathline, “because of their starch content, many people believe they should limit their intake (of potatoes). Also, potatoes are commonly associated with unhealthy fried and processed foods.” 

Additionally, white potatoes tend to have a more bland taste and are often smothered in butter, cheese, sour cream, etc. It’s not the potato itself that is unhealthy- it’s what we are adding to it. 

Here is a break down from Megan Boswell of @TheHealthyLabel for both sweet potatoes and white potatoes! 

Sweet potatoes:

  • Better source of Vitamin C than white potatoes
  • Much better source of Vitamin A (one cup of SP meets over 100% of your daily Vitamin A requirement)
  • Slightly better source of fiber when compared by 100g

White potatoes:

  • Better source of iron and potassium than SP⠀
  • Better source of folate⠀
  • Higher in resistant starch, especially when cooked and cooled (a type of carbohydrate that promotes gut health and blood sugar control)

BOTH:⠀

  • Affordable, quality sources of carbohydrates⠀
  • Very similar in energy & macro composition⠀
  • You can absolutely eat and enjoy both as part of a balanced diet
  • Both of them have a similar glycemic index and load depending on the cooking method.
are potatoes healthy

According to @TheHealthyLabel, white potatoes have been demonized due to the belief that they can inherently cause weight gain. The truth is that it’s the cooking process and ingredients that are often added that can cause potatoes to become energy dense (eg. deep frying and processing into potato chips). Ideally, use cooking methods such as baking, boiling and steaming if you want to avoid this.

In summary, both white potatoes and sweet potatoes are affordable, filling and healthy additions to your meals! 

What’s a common food myth that you believe- that you have never actually looked into?