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How Nutritious Are Potatoes?

The nutritional content of America's favorite vegetable can vary greatly depending on how it's prepared.

A plain, 7-ounce baked potato eaten with the skin provides nearly 50 percent of vitamins C and B6 recommended for adults each day, as well as plenty of potassium and nearly 5 grams of fiber - all for only 220 calories and zero grams of fat.

But, because fat provides 43 percent of the calories in French fries, a small, 2.5-ounce bag provides the same number of calories. If potato chips are your choice, the portion size shrinks to just 1.5 ounces. In terms of nutrient content, the baked potato wins hands-down, providing at least twice the amount of vitamin C, B6 and fiber per calorie.

To help keep potato-based dishes from becoming nutritionally challenged:

  • Cook "from scratch," which lets you control nutrient losses and added calories. Tip: Use fresh potatoes and leave the peeler in the drawer.
  • Choose low-fat cooking techniques, such as steaming, baking or microwaving. Tip: Prepare "oven fries" as a lower-fat alternative to French fries.
  • Bring the water to a boil before adding potatoes to shorten cooking time and preserve vitamin C.
  • Limit the fat and saturated fat content of ingredients used in potato-based dishes. Tip: Use olive oil in dressings for potato salad, top baked potatoes with fat-free sour cream and low-fat cheeses and adjust recipes to eliminate or limit the use of butter, stick margarine and cream.

    - From Kids' Nutrition Q&A, USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center

    Courtesy of Texas Medical Center News
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