By Annette R. Karnash, R.N., M.N.
Baked potatoes are a healthier alternative but you need not abandon regular potatoes. High glycemic foods contain lots of easily digested carbohydrate that can rapidly raise blood sugar; some evidence suggests that a high glycemic diet may increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. A regular potato’s glycemic load is very high, while a sweet potato’s is roughly average. Moreover, sweet potatoes are higher in fiber and most nutrients than regular potatoes. Still, the regular kind can add variety as well as more foliate than a sweet potato and moderate amounts of other nutrients. So an occasional baked potato can still be a good nutritional choice, especially if the rest of the diet contains relatively few high glycemic foods, notably sugar and refined flour.
