Potatoes or Rice which is better

I’ve been going back and forth lately about which is better for me health wise potatoes or rice.  It seems that after reading a lot of article on the subject they’re about evenly balanced in all areas.  A baked potato is still far better for you the French fried potatoes.  Remember both are a complete source of a complex carbohydrate.

Potatoes have higher amounts of some nutrients compared to rice. One cup of potatoes has 29.2 mcg of vitamin A, which is found in the potato skins. Potatoes have vitamin A–and rice does not; the same amount of potatoes has 11 to 16 mcg of vitamin C. Potatoes with skins have 0.3 mg of vitamin E, while skinless potatoes and rice each have 0.1 mg. Iron compares at 1.3 mg in potatoes with skin, 0.4 mg for skinless potatoes, 0.9 mg for white rice and 0.8 mg in brown rice. Potatoes with skins have 659 mg of potassium; skinless potatoes have 493 mg, while brown rice and white rice have 84 mg and 55 mg, respectively. (livestrong.com)

Rice also has higher amounts of some nutrients than potatoes. One cup of brown rice leads in phosphorus with 161.8 mg, while potatoes with skin have 86.4 mg, white rice has 67.9 mg and skinned potatoes have 63.5 mg. Brown rice is higher in magnesium at 83.8 mg compared to 34.3 mg for potatoes with skin, 31.8 mg for skinned potatoes and 19 mg for white rice. (livestrong.com)

Folate, an important vitamin for new cell growth especially during pregnancy, shows up at the highest level in white rice with 91.6 mcg. Potatoes with skins have 34.3 mcg of folate, while skinless potatoes have 11.4 mcg and brown rice has 7.8 mcg. (livestrong.com)    I didn’t not about Folate levels until I read this article, so if you know someone who is pregnant please pass this blog along to them or use the article I use, thank you.

Q. Can eating carbs such as potatoes make you fat?

One bowl of plain cooked rice gives about 200 calories equivalent to 4 boiled potatoes, each about the size of an egg. Eating potatoes or rice does not make a person fat. It is the method of preparation that adds extra calories.

One small or regular serving of french fries is around 230 calories. Potatoes dressed with butter, margarine or cream cheese are higher in energy. Similarly, rice fried or cooked in the chicken rice or nasi briyani style will be packed with extra energy. If the portions are doubled or if you consume these regularly, the excss calories will add up. If not used in physical activity, they will be converted and stored as fats in the body.  (Answer by Ms Koay Saw Lan, head of Dietetics & Nutrition Services, SGH)

After reading these articles and a few others I will continue to split my choices between potatoes and rice.

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