White Potatoes

Question
Hi, I wonder if you could answer a long-standing question I have. I am trying to avoid simple carbs like white bread and white rice but I am confused about what exactly a "white potato" is. Many nutritional books and websites say you should avoid "white potatoes," and they generally suggest sweet potatoes as a substitute. I hate, hate, hate sweet potatoes. As someone who grew up with mashed potatoes and gravy and loaded baked potatoes, I just find the idea of a sweet potato bizarre and unappetizing. So while I'm happy to give up the sour cream and bacon and gravy, I'd still like to be able to eat a potato as a part of a curry or maybe just by itself with a little salt on it. But no one ever says I can substitute a purple potato or a red potato for a white potato--everyone just goes straight to the sweet potato suggestion.

But red potatoes and purple potatoes aren't "white," so can I use those instead of white potatoes? Or does the ban on white potatoes really just mean all potatoes that aren't sweet?

Thanks in advance!

Answer
Hello Sarah,

In my experience, most of the advice to avoid "white" foods is an oversimplified generalization.
Of course, whole grain wheat bread has more fiber and other nutrients than white bread; whole grain rice has some benefits over refined white rice. But, you guessed it, the worst part about a white potato is the dressings people top it with that are very high in fat.

Sweet potatoes may have some more beta carotene than a white (russet) potato, but they also contain more carbs and more calories, which many people are trying to limit. White potatoes are a fairly good source of vitamin C and potassium as well as complex carbohydrate and fiber (mainly in the skin).

So unless you are on some medically restricted diet where you must avoid potatoes for a reason, enjoy any variety you like, guilt-free!

Laurie

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