By Kim Mendel, RD CDN
There’s always a buzz about what foods to limit or avoid when you have diabetes. Potatoes, especially the white varieties, make this list. Most white, refined foods lack the essential nutrients and health benefits that other vegetables can provide. However, you may want to take another look at the white potato, and also think about replacing with a sweet potato once in a while.
The white potato is considered a starchy vegetable that counts toward the carbohydrate portion of your meal, such as rice or pasta would. There are many nutrients packed into the white potato, including fiber, vitamins C, A, B-6, potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, cholate, choline, and iron. Potatoes, on their own, are fat-free. How you benefit from eating a white potato depends upon preparation style, portion size, and what you eat with it. A standard portion size is 3 ounces, about the size of a standard computer mouse or a deck of cards. A serving size for mashed potatoes is one-half cup, and for oven baked French fries it is about 1 cup. However, many of us will add butter, sour cream, bacon, and/or cheese to the potato, or fry the potato. Along with consuming large portions, these add-ons can give white potatoes a bad rap, and may lead to an increase in blood sugar and cholesterol if consumed frequently in unhealthy ways.
When deciding to have white potatoes, aim for a small portion size and pair them with a lean protein such as grilled chicken or fish. Cover half of your plate with a salad or other non-starchy vegetable. Try using low fat versions of butter, sour cream and cheese, or try some plain Greek yogurt instead. You can even make the potato your focal point by topping it with a lean protein or some grilled or steamed veggies with low-fat cheese. When deciding to have French fries, bake them and make only enough for a single portion in order to avoid over-eating.
Don’t forget to eat sweet potatoes in place of white potatoes sometimes. Have a variety of vegetables and carbohydrates daily to avoid consuming excess amounts of any food. As compared to white potatoes, sweet potatoes contain fewer calories (before cooking and adding butter or other fats) than white potatoes, and they contain more vitamin C and beta carotene (vitamin A), in addition to all the above nutrients mentioned that are contained in white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also naturally sweet without added sugar, and along with their fiber content can help control blood sugar spikes when added to a balanced meal. They can be prepared a variety of healthy ways. Try baking, grilling, roasting, or even pureeing sweet potatoes, and putting them in soups, salads, and smoothies. Baked sweet potato fries are delicious. Remember to add low fat butter or olive oil to taste, and consider a serving size to be about one-half-cup or a 3-4 ounce size sweet potato.
Kim Mendel is a Registered Dietician and Diabetes Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County’s Family Health and Wellness Program. She can be reached at km432@cornell.edu