Some people fear all potatoes because they have carbs (but carbs aren’t the enemy).
Others think that only sweet potatoes are OK because white potatoes are…well…I’m not all that sure why they fear white potatoes.
Probably because of some irrational fear that “white” foods are more likely to make you fat.
(They don’t.)
But, potatoes — of all varieties — are arguably one of the best foods you can eat (and that goes for both white and sweet varieties).
Instead of worrying about sweet vs. white, you should focus on how both can play a part in your diet.
Potatoes are loaded with vitamin A, contain antioxidants (in vitamin C and E), and — maybe best of all for your weight concerns — are a super carb.
That’s because they contain resistant starch, which means the carbs are broken down differently in your body (the name comes from the fact that the type of carbs resists the digestion process).
In other words, because of the way the resistant starch is processed (it’s not fully absorbed in your small intestine, and, instead, it’s processed and fermented by bacteria in your large intestine), you don’t digest all of the calories.
Some research suggests you might process half as many calories per gram of carb.
And white potatoes have even more resistant starch than sweet potatoes (and about a third of the sugar).
So while potatoes are carbohydrates, you might process fewer calories from them and — because they are a starch — they are likely to keep you full.
Filling, nutrient dense, and not a calorie bomb?
Hard to argue against that in any diet plan.
I eat them nearly everyday.
So should you.
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