Can I Eat Potatoes With Diabetes?

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Potatoes - the most feared carbohydrate! But, do we really need to avoid potatoes when managing diabetes? Can I eat potatoes with diabetes? Toby Smithson says potatoes are healthy food for people with diabetes.

Hi, Toby Smithson here with DiabetesEveryDay, please remember to hit the subscribe button to be a part of this journey to good health while managing diabetes.

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In today’s episode of “can I eat this?”, we are going to take a look at a frequently feared carbohydrate-containing food….potatoes.

Nutrition Benefits

Before we review just how many carbs are in potatoes, I’d like to point out some of the nutrition benefits. Potatoes are high in potassium, and for those with celiac disease, potatoes are gluten-free. For people with diabetes, here is a possible aha moment…potatoes contain resistant starch, especially when they are cooked and then cooled, as in possibly a potato salad. The starch is not completely broken down and fully absorbed, which helps slow down a rise in blood sugar levels. 

Be Sure To Check Out - Healthy Diabetes Food- Loaded Potatoes Without the Carbs (or the potatoes)

Portion And Carb Content:

To get this right, I use my trusty food scale…

  • Baking potato (2 ½ ” x 4 ¾”, 156 grams or 5 ½ ounces): 34 grams carb, 2 grams fiber
  • Red potato (2 ¼” x 3 ¼ “, 173 grams or 6 ounces): 34 grams carb, 3 g fiber
  • Sweet potato (large 180 grams or almost 6 ½ ounces): 37 grams carb, 6 g fiber

Potatoes are a versatile starchy vegetable and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Be Sure To Check Out - Toby Loves Potato and Eggplant Stew

A Little Tip

Here’s a tip, when I’m planning my dinner, I will use potato as my carbohydrate source for the meal alongside a lower carbohydrate vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower and balance out my plate with a source of protein like chicken, fish, cheese, or eggs.

Here’s to your health.

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