If a Potato is a Vegetable then why isn’t it 1 of my 5 a day ?
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, the required number is 5 portions to improve and maintain your health, though eating more is even better.
So, you would think by now most of us would have received the 5 a day message but many people are still unclear and are very confused what actually counts as part your 5 a day.
It sounds like a clear enough message but unfortunately confusion exists with many people – Are potatoes in or out? Are tin or frozen fruit and vegetables included? etc. Research from the British Nutrition Foundation found that 43 percent of adults surveyed acknowledge that they find it difficult to find reliable information on healthy diets. Ever changing information advice from media and experts is given as being the largest cause for confusion.
In Britain, an average person can generally eat up to 200lb of potatoes a year – that’s a lot of potatoes, but when you consider we eat them as chips, baked, mash, etc., and often on a regular basis, it’s not surprising how quickly it can reach that amount per year. A survey revealed that two-thirds of the population believed that a jacket potato qualified as one of our recommended 5 a day. But, astonishingly, it doesn’t, according to the Government. Despite the information that the potato is 100% natural, is also fat and cholesterol free and is packed full of vitamins and minerals.
If potatoes are classed as a vegetable why are they not one of your 5 a day?
The Department of Health do not count the potato as part of the 5 a day criteria, since it launched its healthy eating campaign in March 2003. In fact, it doesn’t even consider the potato as a vegetable at all. This is due to the fact that potatoes are high in starch so therefore count as a carbohydrate. The carbs in potatoes are the kind that your body digests quickly and have a high glycaemic load. Therefore, causes blood sugar and insulin to surge and then dip.
‘As such, they have a different role to vegetables in the average diet and do not count towards the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.’
Potatoes are botanically categorised as a vegetable, but they are classified nutritionally as a starchy food. Reasons are that when they are consumed as part of a meal, they are usually used in place of other starchy carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta and bread
This is something that the potato industry is requesting to change and the Fresh Potato Suppliers Association is stepping up its campaign to have the potato included in the Governments healthy-eating-scheme.
Potatoes are a versatile root vegetable and a staple food in many households. Eating one medium sized potato a day can be considered part of a healthy diet as long as it is prepared without adding too much salt or saturated fat. Potatoes are naturally gluten free, which makes them an ideal food choice for individuals with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Potatoes are fairly cheap, easy to grow and are packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals, although preparation method can affect the nutritional content. You also need to consider that the skin of the potato contains a large amount of the vitamins and minerals so by peeling them you could considerably reduce their nutrient content.
How much is one portion of potatoes?
A portion of potatoes equates to an average of nine chips or one fist size jacket potato or three table spoons of mash or two egg size new or boiled potatoes.
We eat a lot of potatoes – In Britain, an average person can generally eat up to 200lb of potatoes a year !
Potatoes Are High in Many Nutrients
A medium sized 6oz potato with the skin left on can provide a healthy amount of vitamin c – up to 30 percent of our daily allowance which accumulates to more vitamin c than there is in a 100g of grapes or tomatoes. They also contain 0.2mg of vitamin B6 which is fundamental for our nervous system. If the skin remains it contains 3-4g of fibre, and we need between 12g and 24g a day, depending on our size- the equivalent to several cereals, wholegrain breads and pasta variations. But the foremost nutrient is carbohydrate and that is why it has been excluded from the Government scheme.
Potatoes have a rich source in compounds such as flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acids. These compounds act as antioxidants within the body by neutralising potentially harmful molecules recognised as free radicals. Once free radicals accumulate, they can increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. A study found that potatoes may suppress the growth of liver and colon cancer cells. It was also suggested that coloured potatoes such as purple potatoes can have three to four times more antioxidants than white potatoes. Though, most of this evidence is from test-tube studies. More human-based studies are required before making any health recommendations.
One medium baked potato (approximately 6 ounces or 170 grams), including the skin, can provide up to:
- Calories: 161
- Fat: 0.2 grams
- Protein: 4.3 grams
- Carbs: 36.6 grams
- Fibre: 3.8 grams
- Vitamin C: 28% of the RDI
- Vitamin B6: 27% of the RDI
- Potassium: 26% of the RDI
- Manganese: 19% of the RDI
- Magnesium: 12% of the RDI
- Phosphorus: 12% of the RDI
- Niacin: 12% of the RDI
- Folate: 12% of the RDI
RDI = Recommended Daily Intake.
