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Are Sweet Potatoes or Potatoes Healthier? Learn The Surprising Truth.

Are Sweet Potatoes or Potatoes Healthier? Learn The Surprising Truth.
 

Are Sweet Potatoes Healthier Than Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes and potatoes often get a bad rap for being high in calories and carbs. Recently, both sweet potatoes and potatoes have been granted a place in the Paleo diet. But does that make them healthy? Turns out, both these tubers deserve a place on your plate, because as far as carbs go, they are both healthier than most. For starters, potatoes contain beneficial resistant starch, which, like fiber, doesn’t digest at all. Resistant starch and fiber get fermented in your gut, keeping you fuller longer and increasing the amount of minerals and nutrients that you can absorb. Moreover, the Glycemic Index of either potato has a lot to do with how they’re prepared. It shouldn’t surprise you to know that french fries aren’t the healthiest option, but you might be surprised to learn that adding a baked potato to your plate can help you feel more satisfied, crowd out other less nutritious carbs like bread and give you valuable fuel for an active lifestyle.  
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  As far as whether sweet potatoes or potatoes are healthier, it depends on what you are optimizing for. Sweet potatoes win for Vitamin A and are lower in calories ounce for ounce, but plan old potatoes win for a host of other nutrients like Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Iron. You might be very surprised to find that a medium baked potato has 4.3 grams of protein and 3.8 grams of fiber … not too shabby for a food that’s been demonized for being a “carb”! Learn more fun facts about sweet potatoes and potatoes in the infographic below, or read the full article at Precision Fitness here. Ready to get cooking? Here are some great stuffed sweet potato recipes perfect for weeknight dinners.
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