Is potato healthy or junk?

They're a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber . As a bonus, potatoes are low in calories, contain no fat or cholesterol, and are sodium-free. They're high in vitamin C and potassium and are a good source of vitamin B6. A medium potato, about 5.5 ounces, contains only 145 calories.

Are potatoes healthier than rice?

Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods . This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.

Is potato a carb or veg?

Although potatoes are a vegetable , in the UK we mostly eat them as the starchy food part of a meal, and they're a good source of carbohydrate in our diet. Because of this, potatoes do not count towards your five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but they can have an important role in your diet.

Is potato a vegetable or fruit?

Vegetables are "the edible portion of a plant," she adds, and tubers like potatoes fit that description. Botanically, potatoes are only vegetables because there isn't any other category for them, says Dr.

Is it OK to eat a potato everyday?

The Bottom Line. It is totally fine to eat potatoes every day . While how you prepare and cook potatoes and how much you eat could possibly impact your health, whole potatoes with skin are a nutritious vegetable with health benefits.

Why shouldn't you eat a lot of potatoes?

Eating too many potatoes, especially deep-fried or laden with added fat and salt, can cause side effects such as raised blood sugar and blood pressure , despite potatoes being a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Why isn't potato one of your 5 A Day?

When eaten as part of a meal, potatoes are generally used in place of other sources of starch, such as bread, pasta or rice . Because of this, they don't count towards your 5 A Day. Other vegetables that don't count towards your 5 A Day are yams, cassava and plantain. They're also usually eaten as starchy foods.

Are potatoes good or bad carbs?

They're also chock full of starch, which is a carbohydrate. But even though a potato is considered a complex “healthy” carb , your body digests these carbs faster than other kinds of complex carbs. These broken-down carbs flood your blood with sugar. This makes your blood sugar spike quickly.

What are the healthiest carbs to eat?

The healthiest sources of carbohydrates— unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans —promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fiber, and a host of important phytonutrients.

Is avocado a potato a fruit?

For example, tomatoes, avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, green peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, and others are classified as fruits by botanists because they are the fleshy plant part surrounding its seeds.

Is A potato an apple?

Potatoes, because they are root vegetables, were called “fruit of the earth.” Oranges were called “pomme d'orange”, fruit of the orange tree. Apples, being considered the “default” fruit, were just called pomme, fruit.

Why isn't potato a vegetable?

Key Takeaways. Potatoes don't count as vegetables in some dietary guidelines. There's speculation that potatoes may be reclassified as a grain in the upcoming Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. Unlike green vegetables, potatoes are high in carbohydrates and starches .

Potato (2024)

Latin Family:Solanaceae
Latin Genus:Solanum

Ease of Growing:Easy
Growing Type:Annual

Potatoes are the most important vegetable crop in the world. They provide more usable protein per acre than any other crop (up to forty times more per acre than cows). They may yield from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds per acre. Potatoes are unique as the only garden crop you could live on (at least for a while). At one time, Irish peasants really did live on a diet of potatoes and milk and their population increased rapidly (until the Potato Famine).

Many gardeners don't grow potatoes because they believe they need a lot of space, are cheap to buy, and don't taste much better than store bought. However, they are actually one of the most space efficient crops you can grow, considering the amount of nutrition they provide. A 10 square-foot planting can yield 20 to 40 pounds of tubers. Home grown potatoes also taste better than those you buy and are one of the great treats of the summer garden.

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Potato History

Potatoes originated in the mountains of Central and South America and have been cultivated for over 6000 years. There are still a huge number of varieties grown in that region. The potato wasn't a success when it was first brought to Europe, probably because they were short varieties and it didn't start to produce until late in the year. However, it was eventually accepted, presumably as better varieties were developed.

Soil Preference

PH (min/max): 4.8 - 7.0
PH Ideal (min/max): 5.4 - 5.5

Potatoes will grow in most soils, even those that are too [acidic] for most crops. For best results, they prefer light, deep, well-drained sandy soils. They prefer a more acidic soil than most vegetables, as it increases yield and decreases the incidence of [Scab] (a disease that mostly occurs in soils with a pH above 6.0). They don't like heavy wet clay, or very [alkaline] soil.

Potatoes aren't a fussy crop, but they respond well to any soil improvement. If the soil is heavy or compacted, deep cultivation such as double digging is very beneficial as it enables you to loosen the soil and add organic matter (use [compost], aged manure or leaf mold). If the soil is too alkaline then add sulfur, pine needles or another acidifying agent. Don't lime the soil when planting potatoes.

For more information on soil pH [click here.:Soil pH#The Effects of High pH]

How to care for Potato?

Potatoes are a beneficial crop for the garden, as their growth and harvest improves the [tilth] of the soil and suppresses weeds.

Problems

Colorado Potato Beetle

On a small scale you can simply hand pick off any beetles you find and scrape off the tiny orange egg masses from under the leaves (and any newly hatched larvae). The larvae are eaten by many predators, though the adults are fairly poisonous.

Verticillium wilt

This fungus shows itself by the tops dying off prematurely (it’s also known as Early dying fungus). You may still get a small crop of potatoes from affected plants, but they won’t store well. This disease can last for years in the soil. To eliminate it, don't plant potatoes in the same spot for at least 4 years. Other members of the Solanum family are also affected, so they shouldn’t be grown either during that period (except for a few resistant varieties).

Late blight

(Phytopthora infestans) This is the disease that caused the famine that depopulated Ireland, by killing one and a half million people and causing another million to emigrate. It is called Late Blight because it likes warmer weather and usually occurs after Tomatoes (which it also affects) have flowered. It doesn’t much bother early crops. This fungus first manifests itself as spots on the lower leaves in cool weather, but then the leaves die and brown patches appear on the tubers. The only thing you can do is dig the tubers 2 weeks after the tops die down and use them (then spores from tops won’t be transferred to the tubers). This disease affects yield, but doesn’t affect storability (of course you wouldn’t use infected potatoes for seed). Many modern varieties have some resistance to Late Blight.

Pests

The Potato has more than its fair share of disease and insect pests. Fortunately these aren’t found everywhere; in some favored areas Potatoes have few problems and are very easy to grow. The severity of potato pests varies from year to year, with different growing conditions. In some years they do little harm, in other years they can be devastating. Warm humid conditions are the worst for Potatoes.

Scab

(Streptomyces scabies) Soil bacteria cause this very common disease. It is undetectable above ground and the damage is mainly cosmetic, so it is not very serious unless you are growing for market (it reduces their marketability). Alkaline soil (above 6.0 pH) and lack of moisture are the main causes of scab. It persists in the ground for several years and can also infect other root crops such as carrot, beet and turnip. The best ways to prevent scab is to rotate annually, keep the soil somewhat acid (don’t lime it) and to use resistant varieties. Abundant water may reduce damage from Scab.

Viruses

These aren’t always an obvious problem, but they can reduce yields considerably. You may avoid them by using certified seed and not saving your own tubers for planting.

Removing viruses: It is possible to get a virus-free plant from an infected tuber (this is only worthwhile if you have a special variety). You plant the tuber in a container of sterile potting mix and keep it in a warm place to grow. When the shoot reaches 6˝ to 8˝ high you cut it off 2˝ to 3˝ above the soil line (it should never touch the soil or the rest of the tuber). The shoot can then be rooted in another container of sterile potting mix and it will hopefully be virus-free. Just hope that when you plant it out your garden is also free of viruses.

Potato Types

Mix Potatoes are a mix of different colors and sizes.

Yellow & All Purpose

Yellow Potatoes are very versatile and are good mashed, steamed, baked, boiled or roasted.

Their yellow color is due to vitamin A and anthoxanthins, which have beneficial antioxidant properties.

Fingerlings

Fingerling Potatoes are small, finger shaped potatoes which grow small and narrow. They vary in skin color from yellow to orange to purple. They are primarily known for their roasting qualities.

White

A quality white potato is firm with smooth skin and a bright-white to cream color.

Red Potatoes are very versatile and are good steamed, baked, boiled or roasted. They are typically small with thin smooth skin and have red coloring. They are high in moisture and sugar, but low in starch content.

Blue & Purple

This variety of potatoes has a purple skin and flesh which turn blue when cooked. Blue and Purple potatoes have all the same characteristics as more well-known potatoes types.

Russet

Russet Potatoes are large, brown-skinned, white-fleshed potatoes. They are know for their baking and frying qualities. Russet Potatoes were developed by Luther Burbank in the 1870s.

Pests

Aphids
Blister Beetle
Colorado Potato Beetle
Gophers
Leafhoppers
Armyworms
Cutworms
European Corn Borer
Flea Beetle
Nematodes
Whiteflies
Wireworm
Symphylans

Diseases

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV)
Southern Blight
Bacterial Wilt
Curly Top
Rust
Scab
Tobacco Mosaic Virus
Fusarium Wilt
Blackleg, Aerial Stem Rot
Cercospora Leaf Spot
Late Blight
Powdery Mildew
Verticillium Wilt

Potato (2024)

Videos

Potato History

Soil Preference

How to care for Potato?

Problems

Potato Types

Pests

Diseases

FAQs

Is potato healthy or junk? ›

Is A potato an apple? ›

References