Nutrition
| The potato is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables available and provides substantial nutrition for few kilojoules.
To preserve these nutrients it is important to peel the potato just prior to cooking and not leave it exposed to the air or standing in water any longer than necessary. Australian Nutritionist's suggest that to retain maximum benefit of the nutrients in potatoes, they should be scrubbed thoroughly and cooked in their skins. If you prefer to serve potatoes peeled, only the thinnest layer of skin should be removed as many valuable nutrients lie just beneath the skin. |
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Just one medium sized potato, 150g, provides a good proportion of the recommended daily requirements of many important vitamins and minerals. For an inexpensive, high-energy snack, cook a potato for two minutes each side in a Potato Microwaver. Served with low-fat toppings, it is the perfect healthy snack no matter what your lifestyle.
Kilojoule / Kilocalorie Comparison of 100g Portions
| FOOD VARIETY | KILOJOULES | KILOCALORIES |
| Potato, peeled, boiled | 263 | 50 |
| Rice, white, boiled | 523 | 127 |
| Pasta, white, boiled | 497 | 120 |
| Bread, white | 1040 | 252 |
| Bread, wholemeal | 939 | 227 |
| Muesli Bar, Fruit | 1550 | 375 |
| Toasted Muesli | 1690 | 409 |
| Croissant, plain | 1640 | 398 |
Potato Nutrients
| NUTRIENT | 150G POTATO | +RDI | *% DAILY |
| Dietary Fibre | 2.85g | 30-40g ^ | 14.5(calculated on averages) |
| Energy | 286kj | ||
| Protein | 3.75g | 0.75g/kg body weight/day | N/A |
| Fat | 0g | 20-30% of kilojoules in diet | 0 |
| Carboyhdrates | 13.8g | ||
| Sugars | .5g | ||
| Vitamin C | 20-30mg | 35mg | 57-86 |
| Folic Acid | 37µg | 200µg | 18 |
| Niacin (B3) | 1.35mg | 16mg | 12 |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.12mg | 1mg | 10 |
| B6 | 0.6mg | 1.3mg | 46 |
| Potassium | 500-700mg | 1950- 5460mg | 16(calculated on averages) |
| Phosphorous | 50mg | 1000mg | 5 |
| Magnesium | 28.5mg | 295mg | 10 |
| Calcium | 6mg | 800mg | 0.6 |
| Zinc | 0.6mg | 12mg | 5 |
| Iodine | 4.5µg | 135µg | 3 |
* This is an approx. percentage of the recommended daily requirement
^ Recommended range by Australian nutritionists
RDI has been calculated as an average of recommendations for adult men and women (19-64 years)
Source: NHMRC (1991), Recommended Dietary Intakes for use in Australia, Rosemary Stanton (1994), Eating for Peak Performance.