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It's all about quantity and calorie density. You'd have to eat 27 potatoes a day to get to 3k calories, which is on the low end for obese people. Unless they're
by thatguy0900 6y ago
It's all about quantity and calorie density. You'd have to eat 27 potatoes a day to get to 3k calories, which is on the low end for obese people. Unless they're eating every potatoe baked with heaps of cheese, sour cream and bacon bits then it's not that bad for your weight, at least
- kobalsky 6y ago> which is on the low end for obese people do obese people burn more calories just by being fat or are you assuming that they are still getting fatter?
- thatguy0900 6y agoObese people do need higher calories to maintain their weight. Given that severity of obesity rates in increasing its also true that most fat people are only getting fatter though.
- Scoundreller 6y agoThank you. Potatoes get such a bad reputation as a staple. I think it has to do with the fact that there’s zero marketing budget for a food sold for $1/kg and, like anything else, can be prepared in a healthy way or horribly unhealthy way.
- cogman10 6y agoWell, I'd say it comes down to the fact that most potato preparations are horribly unhealthy. Not the potato's fault, just the meals that surround it. Probably the only tradition potato prep that has a chance of being sort of healthy is mashed potatoes. Even then, those often get loaded up with milk, butter, and gravy. Take rice on the opposite end. Just as unhealthy as potatoes yet a ton of traditional rice meals are super healthy.
- Scoundreller 6y agoI cube them, boil them, and eat them with mustard or hot sauce. Even with ketchup isn’t that bad. Or I toss them into a soup or stir fry. Mash potatoes involve peeling them. That’s a waste of time and nutrients.
- cogman10 6y agoCall me crazy, I like the skin on in mashed potatoes. I think it adds to the flavor.
- sershe 6y agoSimple boiled potatoes, especially fresh ones, are delicious, with a little piece of butter. They have delicate flavor. However, nobody likes them in the US... potatos have to be at least deep fried and better yet dipped into some crap. Reminds me of when I was in Munich with some American friends and they thought pork (and potatoes etc.) were flavorless... it just had the flavor of pork :) I feel like the worst parts of the US diet are not the staples or the meats or anything like that, it's all the additions - too much butter, ketchup, dressings, syrups, sauces, cheeses, added bread (crusts, buns and crumbs) etc. on everything. When your taste buds are nuked by this stuff all the time it's hard to appreciate subtle flavors.
- etangent 6y agoThey are 60-80% starch (carbs) by dry weight. They have a bad reputation for a reason.
- Scoundreller 6y agoThat’s right up there with anything plant based (e.g. broccoli, chickpeas or kale)
- etangent 6y agoUnlike broccoli or kale, potatoes have way lower vitamin and fiber content. Unlike chickpeas, potatoes have way lower protein content. I feel like I'm in some kind of twilight zone with fifteen HNers attacking me for saying a pretty much accepted truth about potatoes (that it is an extremely starch-rich vegetable that's fairly low in other nutrients). I don't understand the reason for this. Is everyone here on a potato diet?
- thatguy0900 6y agoI think it's more that we're talking about obesity. You might not be the most nourished person in the world but noone is obese from eating too many potatoes, you get obese eating pure sugars and modern engineered refined foods.
- etangent 6y ago> noone is obese from eating too many potatoes You get obese from eating too many calories, source is irrelevant. Sugars and refined foods are dangerous because they are particularly addictive. But if you crave carbs, and think potatoes are a "healthy" way to satisfy that craving, you're very wrong.
- thatguy0900 6y agoI mean, source kind of does matter, because potatoes are pretty filling. You would be hard pressed to eat enough potatoes to become obese at 110 calories a pop, unless you cover them in cheese and sour cream and meats, in which case it's not really the potatoes fault. I'm not saying they're a healthy diet option but you can't blame potatoes for someone being obese, which is what we're talking about.
- treeman79 6y agoPotatoes have among the highest possible satiety values. If plane, you basically can’t over eat them. You be full quickly.
- Raphmedia 6y agoAs a French Canadian, I can assure you that with the right toppings you can without a doubt eat enough potatoes to reach insane amounts of calories. Granted, we put gravy and cheese on top and consider it a base for the actual toppings. https://www.geeksaresexy.net/2013/02/05/poutinevilles-heart-attack-poutine-is-the-queen-of-all-poutines/ https://www.geeksaresexy.net/2013/02/05/poutinevilles-heart-...
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- treeman79 6y agoDid a sweet potatoe diet For a month. Boiled or microwaved. Nothing added. Felt Amazing after it. Was the most boring thing ever.