Potatoes: Nutrition facts & health benefits

In this post & video I am going to analyse the nutrition facts of potatoes and explain some of their health benefits.

In 2020 China was the largest producer of potatoes followed by India & Ukraine.

Contents

Nutritional profile | Water | Carbohydrates | Fat & Protein | Vitamins, minerals & health benefits | Conclusion |

About me

About Us

Prashanth Reddy Cheruku

Welcome!
I created this platform with a mission: to educate people worldwide about Food Science, Nutrition & Preventive Healthcare. Our ultimate goal is to enhance both lifespan and healthspan—not just for people, but for PETS too!
About Me
I am a qualified Food Engineer & Sports Nutritionist with over 13 years of research & content creation experience. My academic background includes:
🎓 Master of Technology in Food Process Engineering
📍 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur

Don’t forget to follow us on

Nutritional profile of Potatoes

Water

In this post I am going to analyse the nutrition facts of boiled potatoes as this is the preferred method of cooking around the world. The major constituent of potatoes is water and it constitutes about 77% of their total weight.

Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel

Carbohydrates

The only other nutrient that is present in considerable amounts in potatoes is carbohydrate.

Close to 20% of the total weight of these tubers is carbohydrate.

They are not a good source of dietary fibre. It constitutes as little as 1.8% of their total weight. We can say that potatoes are not a good source of dietary fibre.

The sugar content of potatoes is very low at just below 1%.

Fat & Protein

Potatoes contain very little fat. Hundred grams of boiled potatoes contain as little as 0.1 g of fat.

Even the protein content of these tubers is not high. It sits at just below 2%. We can say that potatoes are not a good source of protein.

Energy

The energy provided by boiled potatoes is quite low. Hundred grams of them provide just 87 Cal or 364 kJ of energy.

Share it with your community. It might change their life forever!

Vitamins, minerals & Health benefits

Potatoes are good sources of vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Hundred grams of these tubers provide 19% daily value of vitamin B6 and about 15% daily value of vitamin C.

Vitamin B6 helps our body in making antibodies that fight with infections. This vitamin also helps in keeping blood sugar in normal ranges.

Vitamin C can help us fight with infections and also helps in healing wounds. Vitamin C is also a potent antioxidant that can help us fight with premature ageing of the skin and the brain.

Potatoes are also moderately good sources of vitamins such as pantothenic acid, thiamine and niacin.

The only mineral that is present in appreciable amounts in potatoes is copper.

Copper works with iron in helping our body form red blood cells. Copper also helps in maintaining healthy bones, blood vessels, immune function, healthy brain and nervous system.

Potatoes are moderately good sources of essential minerals such as potassium, manganese & magnesium.

Conclusion

Potatoes are low energy food items that are suitable for wide range of age groups.

Majority of their calorie content comes from carbohydrates especially in the form of starch.

They are very good sources of vitamin B6, C & copper.

On the other hand potatoes are very poor sources of fat & protein. They provide negligible amounts of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E & K and majority of essential minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, iron etc.

I would suggest you to consume boiled potatoes with minimal amount of added salt. It is better to stay away from fried potatoes as they contain significantly high calories.

For optimal health you should consume wide range of food groups such as fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables, fish and eggs on a regular basis.