You should avoid potatoes…. when they are green! Potatoes get a bad reputation because they are unfairly grouped in with the recommendation to eat less “white food.” What they mean by less white food is less refined grains and sugar, not plant foods like potatoes.
While potatoes are a nutritious food, it is true that they can be bad for you when you eat too many in an unbalanced meal or if you eat a green one. Potatoes turn green when exposed to sunlight. When a potato is exposed to sunlight, chlorophyll (a substance that is normally very good for you) increases causing the potato to turn green. However, the same chemical reactions that turn the potato green (producing chlorophyll) also cause it to produce a compound called solanine which is toxic and is known to irritate the GI tract.
Potatoes have unjustly had a tough time throughout history. Suspicious Europeans first fed them to livestock and they weren’t consumed in Scotland because they are not mentioned in the bible and thought to be associated with the devil. Now they are again unfairly under attack.
Potatoes are often accused of causing weight gain due to their high carbohydrate content. It’s true; potatoes do contain a significant amount of carbohydrate just like oatmeal, rice, sweet potatoes and other healthy carbohydrate rich foods. However, they happen to be more nutrient dense than most other carbohydrate foods.
In fact, one medium size potato contains 3x the amount of potassium as a banana, up to 900mg. Potassium is a vital nutrient and most people don’t even come close to getting in the recommended 4,000mg per day.
One problem is that carbohydrates are less filling than other foods, so it’s common for people to overeat when consuming them alone. That’s why it’s important to eat them as part of a well-balanced meal. Another issue is the preparation method. Don’t blame potatoes for weight gain if the main way you eat them is deep fried french fries! Healthy preparation methods should be chosen most often such as baking or roasting them with heart healthy oils and seasonings.
Next time you’re at the market pick up a few potatoes… unless they’re green.