I’ve been wanting to write about white potatoes versus sweet potatoes since I started Healthy Mumma but have found the topic a little controversial with lots of debate surrounding whether or not the white potato should be a part of a healthy lifestyle. Since starting my healthy lifestyle I decided to cut out the good old white potato as to be honest I guess I associated it with unhealthy eating i.e. hot chips/french fries, potato cakes, potato chips and lots of other highly processed foods.
All potatoes however are a great source of fibre and nutrients. I read somewhere back when I started researching healthy eating that sweet potatoes were the healthier option, but WHY? Here is what I have found:
Sweet Potatoes:
- are higher in fibre
- significantly higher in vitamin A, important for eye health
- higher in vitamin C, good for your immune system
- has less calories
- has less carbs
- has a lower GL
- however are higher in sugar
When researching on this topic and why the paleo lifestyle eat sweet potato but not white potato there is lots of debate and whether or not there is really any major difference between the two. I guess this is why I have been reluctant to blog about this topic.
The rationale behind the paleo lifestyle is that white potatoes have one of the highest glycaemic indexes, are consumed in highly processed forms and contain a toxin called saponin. Again I could go into more about these three reasons but won’t bore you all with the details.
Although eating a white roasted potato cooked in coconut oil or a healthy oil is obviously better for you than eating french fries or highly processed foods that contain potato. Healthy eating and clean eating is about eating whole foods that have not been highly processed so I guess you could say the white potato falls into this criteria.
I must admit I do stay away from the white potato and when I feel like a potato fix I use sweet potato instead. Like anything though I eat sweet potatoes in moderation and I have to admit I do feel better not eating white potatoes, the same way I feel by not eating grains i.e. bread and pasta.
So the decision to eat white potatoes is up to you but why not substitute your white potatoes for sweet potatoes?! The data is clear that nutritionally the sweet potato stacks up better than the white potato!
