Potatoes Bad, Sweet Potatoes OK. Why?? page

[Slatz]

Why are normal spuds so bad. I love 'em and I'm missing them soooo much.

[Gadsie]

They're not bad

[Annieh]

I don't think they're bad either. Just less full of nutrients for amount of calories/carbs. So I cut them out during the fat loss phase.

My family missed them a lot too, so now I have added them back in from time to time. They are useful to fill up on without resorting to pasta or rice. And very nice carrier for butter or sour cream!

[pace2race]

Potatoes are nightshades, sweet potatoes are not from a nightshade.


Nightshades | Mark's Daily Apple

Nightshades have never bothered me enough to notice. With any food, how and what it's prepared in has much to do with whether it's healthful for you to eat.

[Lukey]

Actually they are more nutritious gram for gram, and contain less carbs gram for gram. I think people avoid them because they are higher glycemic than sweet potatoes (depending on which type, eg. Baby boiled new potatoes are almost just as low as sweet potatoes (62 gi) where as a baked potato has 95gi) In my opinion it doesn't matter really matter aslong as you eat them with protein and fat. I eat white potatoes everyday and i'm lean.

[PureFunctionalFitness]

Yep, new potatoes are much better than the big fluffy baking ones if you are looking for a reduced insulin response. The poisonous things bit is one consideration. There are plenty of foods that are poisonous when raw but ok when cooked. People have been doing that for thousands of years.

I think avoiding things that can't be eaten raw is a fair consideration. Each to their own.

[Darz]

Eat them all however you want to.

[BennettC]

a carb is a carb

[bob loblaw]

White potatoes are awesome and very nutrient dense.

They are nightshades, so if you have a reaction, don't eat them. Me, I feel BETTER when white potatoes are part of my diet.

One caveat, white potatoes can easily be manipulated into "trigger" foods that can cause binge eating. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, hash browns, and french fries are so damn good that they can, in some people, trigger old habits. Also, fried potatoes like fries and has browns can be an issue since they are largely dehydrated during the cooking process, which means you can eat a lot more without getting full.

I generally steam my white potatoes (sans skins) and then sear them in beef tallow to get a nice crunch. I keep the cubes fairly big, so they keep in lots of moisture and remain very filling. 10 ounces of white potatoes hits the spot, with 5 ounces of meat and 10 ounces of veggies you have a hugely satiating meal.

[jsa23]

While some question the paleo/primal-ness of potatoes, they're a nutritious whole food. The only caveat here is about sensitivities to substances they may contain(assuming you're not low-carb. If you're low-carb you obviously won't be eating many potatoes, sweet OR regular)

The primary issue is concerns over toxins(solanine). The general rule here is to store your potatoes in the dark, peel your potatoes, and don't buy/eat potatoes that show any sign of greenness. Solanine generally forms as a response to light exposure and/or damage to the potato, so doing things that minimize its formation will be to your advantage.