white potato or sweet potato

[Guest guest]

Dear Dr. Mirkin: The only thing I don't understand about your

wonderful e-Zine is why you keep featuring recipes containing

potatoes - ordinary, white potatoes. The Tufts people don't

recommend them because they're empty calories. Shouldn't I eat

sweet potatoes, but not the white ones?

Both white potatoes and sweet potatoes contain a variety

of nutrients. Here's the comparison:

7-ounce white potato with skin: 220 calories, 5g protein,

51g carbs, 20mg calcium, 115mg phosphorus, 2.8g iron, 16mg sodium,

844mg potassium, 4g fiber, .22mg thiamin, .07mg riboflavin,

3.3mg niacin, 16mg vitamin C

7-ounce sweet potato: 208 calories, 3.5g protein, 49g carbs,

56mg calcium, 110mg phosphorus, 1g iron, 20mg sodium,

693mg potassium, 5g fiber, 4350 RE vitamin A, .14mg thiamin,

..13mg riboflavin, 1.2mg niacin, 49mg vitamin C.

So, as you can see, sweet potatoes are a good source of

vitamin A, and have a little more vitamin C and calcium (but less

iron) than white potatoes; otherwise they're pretty much equal.

We eat the potato skins as well as the flesh; the skins of many

vegetables and fruits are concentrated sources of nutrients and

fiber. If you're diabetic or trying to lose weight, eat your root

vegetables WITH other foods, not alone as snacks.