White potatoes or sweet potatoes?
Now that we have started your fitness journey, we must be asking ourselves a lot of questions around diet and fitness. The consumption of potatoes and choosing between white potatoes and sweet potatoes is up there.
Although both the sweet potato and potato share their name, and both are tuberous root vegetables, they are from completely different families!
White potatoes contain about 80% water and are nutritionally very dense. The sweet potato is also quite similar to the white potato nutritionally. Let’s take a look at the nutritional value of both!
| 100 g serving | White potato | Sweet potato |
| Calories | 94 | 90 |
| Carbs (g) | 21 | 21 |
| Sugar (g) | 2 | 7 |
| Fiber (g) | 2.1 | 3 |
| Protein (g) | 3 | 2 |
| Vitamins | A, C, B6 | A, C, B6 |
| Minerals | K, Mg, Fe | K, Ca, Mg, Mn |
| Fat (g) | 0 | 0 |
As seen, both kinds of potatoes are rich in nutrients and are dense in carbs, with the white potato containing more. Sweet potatoes have a little more vitamin C and antioxidants compared to white potatoes, but white potatoes contain more potassium. A study in the US showed that 98% of people had potassium deficiency, with women rating higher. White potatoes are an easy source! Please note that anything fried is just fatty. Therefore, your trip to McDonald’s cannot be considered a nutritional meal in your diet!
Potatoes are a great source of nutrition and cannot be discarded as fatty foods or foods have no calories.
When cooking potatoes, consuming them boiled or baked is a good option. Most of the fiber in potatoes is in the skin so keep it on. Serve your potatoes with herbs, vegetables and spices instead of salt, butter or cheese.
It is important to count your calories for your day. Therefore, when you eat foods within your calorie count, it does not affect your weight goals. Potatoes are also known for leaving you feeling full after you eat them, which is great. Potatoes being a great source of nutrition should definitely be included in your diet!
Have a happy and healthy week!
