10 Proven Health Benefits of Potatoes + CALORIE COMPARISON TABLE

1. Do potatoes make you fat?

Potatoes are one of the foods that are generally shunned by people trying to manage their weight, but research has determined that there is no evidence to suggest an association between eating potatoes and risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes.

Research has also demonstrated that people can incorporate potatoes into their diet and still lose weight. Researchers studied 86 overweight women and men over twelve weeks to determine how a reduced calorie diet with the addition of potatoes affected weight loss. The individuals were randomly allocated to 3 groups and one group had a diet that included 5 to 7 helpings of potatoes each week. The outcomes showed that the potato group did not gain weight, and all 3 groups actually lost weight.¹✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2013.875441

The soluble fiber in potatoes can also help with weight loss by providing a longer feeling of fullness. The resistant starch in potatoes takes up space in the GI tract which helps in slowing down digestion, and this will also keep you feeling full for longer. A study has revealed that overweight women lost weight and kept it off when eating low energy-dense foods which included potatoes. The researchers concluded that the low energy-dense foods helped the study participants stay full throughout the day without having to resort to high energy-dense foods.²✅ JOURNAL REFERENCE
DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxy041

How many calories in a potato?

A baked potato without any topping is contains only 93 calories per 100g, which makes it a low calorie food. In addition, not every calorie is actually absorbed because the resistant starch in potatoes is not easily digestible. The potato is not the problem with regards to weight gain, the problem is the way the potato is cooked. The amount of calories in potatoes depends very much on the cooking method as demonstrated in the table below:

How many calories in a potato comparison table

Cooking method	Amount of calories per 100g
How many calories in boiled potatoes	87 calories per 100g
How many calories in a baked potato	93 calories per 100g
How many calories in roast potatoes	149 calories per 100g
How many calories in french fries	312 calories per 100g
How many calories in hash browns	326 calories per 100g
How many calories in potato chips	545 calories per 100g

Potato nutrition facts:

Potatoes are an excellent source of several nutrients, such as vitamins C and B6, potassium, pantothenic acid, niacin and dietary fiber. The protein in potatoes contain lysine, an essential amino acid generally absent in grains.