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Glucose & Potatoes: Carbohydrate Content

Potatoes are a nutrient-dense food that provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. While potatoes contain carbohydrates that can impact blood glucose levels, their effect depends on factors like preparation method and whether the skins are consumed. Boiled potatoes have a lower glycemic index than baked or instant potatoes. Pairing potatoes with non-starchy foods or low glycemic index vegetables can minimize spikes in blood glucose. For diabetics, a medium potato contains about two carbohydrate servings worth of carbohydrates.

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88 views2 pages

Glucose & Potatoes: Carbohydrate Content

Potatoes are a nutrient-dense food that provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. While potatoes contain carbohydrates that can impact blood glucose levels, their effect depends on factors like preparation method and whether the skins are consumed. Boiled potatoes have a lower glycemic index than baked or instant potatoes. Pairing potatoes with non-starchy foods or low glycemic index vegetables can minimize spikes in blood glucose. For diabetics, a medium potato contains about two carbohydrate servings worth of carbohydrates.

Uploaded by

Shoniqua Johnson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Glucose & Potatoes

by Jessica Bruso, Demand Media

Potatoes are nutrient dense.

Potatoes are most nutritious with their skins on, providing you with significant amounts
of vitamin C, fiber and potassium. Leaving the skins on may also lower the effect of
potatoes on your blood glucose levels, since fiber slows down the emptying of your
stomach and thus lessens any after-meal rise in blood glucose levels.

Carbohydrate Content
Baked Russet potatoes are made up of about 21 percent carbohydrates. Each medium
potato contains 4.6 grams of protein, 2 grams of fat and 37 grams of carbohydrates,
including 4 grams of fiber. Only 1.9 grams of the carbohydrates in potatoes comes from
sugars, including 0.6 gram of glucose, with another 30.2 grams coming from starch.

Glycemic Index
The glycemic index measures the effect of carbohydrate-containing foods on blood
glucose levels; foods with a high glycemic index often cause spikes in blood glucose
levels after you eat them. The glycemic index of potatoes can vary widely, ranging from
a relatively low average score of 50 for boiled white potatoes to a high average score of
85 for instant mashed potatoes and baked Russet potatoes. The type of potato, method
of preparation and whether you leave the skin on can all affect the glycemic index of
potatoes.

Minimizing Effect on Blood Glucose


You can minimize the effect of potatoes on blood glucose levels by pairing them with
foods that contain little carbohydrates, such as meat, or those that are low on the
glycemic index, including beans, peas and most other vegetables. Eat a small serving of
potatoes along with lean meat and a salad and the overall effect on your blood sugar
levels will be relatively low. However, if you eat a large plate of french fries, skip the
salad and add a slice of apple pie, your meal is likely to cause a large spike in your
blood sugar levels.

Considerations
For diabetics, a medium potato is more than one carbohydrate serving, since 15 grams
of carbohydrates is one serving. However, in carbohydrate counting, subtract the fiber
from the total carbohydrates, leaving 33 grams of carbohydrates, making a medium

potato about two carbohydrate servings. This doesn't mean you can't eat a baked
potato; simply limit your other sources of carbohydrates in the same meal to minimize
the overall effect of your meal on your blood glucose levels.

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