Do potatoes count as a vegetable (for nutritional purposes)?

[temper_tantrum]

sossij, spud and fish?

Whut? Are you insane?!

 

[kabbes]

I know a kid who survives solely on doritoes and yoghurt

"Survives" over what time scale?

 

[Mation]

I love this thread

 

[temper_tantrum]

The side of the righteous is winning the poll

 

[stuff_it]

If you leave on the skin and don't fry them then yes, as long as you eat a variety of vegetables other than potatoes...but then if you aren't nearly up to your 5 a day why even bother counting.

 

[Chz]

It's really quite simple.

Yes, they are a vegetable, botanically speaking. (Well, a tuber.)

No, they don't count as a vegetable in most nutritional guides. A boiled potato with the skin on would probably count as a vegetable, but the moment you told the morons in this country that potatoes counted as vegetables sales of chips and crisps would skyrocket and everyone would fall dead of a heart attack. Whether or not that's a good thing is debatable of course, but it's not likely to be something your doctor approves of.

 

[Hellsbells]

what about sweet potatoes? Are they more nutritious than the normal kind? And do they count as a veg or a carb?

 

[Placid Casual27]

if i were to eat a portion of carrots, a portion of cabbage, a portion of salad and an apple, would a portion of potatoes be enough to take me up to my five portions of fruit and veg a day, or would i need to supplement my daily intake with something else?

They're not one of your 5 a day

 

[strung out]

They're not one of your 5 a day

that's not what people on this thread are saying

what if it was a portion of boiled spuds with skin on?

 

[kabbes]

To be on the safe side, go for five a day AND spuds. Why not, eh? Push the boat out.

 

[Geri]

Potatoes do not count.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Whatcounts.aspx

 

[stuff_it]

if i were to eat a portion of carrots, a portion of cabbage, a portion of salad and an apple, would a portion of potatoes be enough to take me up to my five portions of fruit and veg a day, or would i need to supplement my daily intake with something else?

You would already be eating far more fruits and vegetables than most people.

 

[strung out]

Potatoes do not count.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/5ADAY/Pages/Whatcounts.aspx

that all seems a bit arbitrary though. what is it about a boiled potato which means it doesn't count as opposed to a boiled carrot?

 

[Chz]

Because they don't want the entire country to mis-read what they're saying and run out and eat 5 portions of chips a day.

 

[strung out]

so potatoes can count as one of your 5 a day in some circumstances then?

 

[Citizen66]

A fruit is a seed/seeds surrounded by fleshy pulp.

Ah, like a tomato?

 

[Blagsta]

Yes, tomatoes are technically fruit.

 

[8115]

that all seems a bit arbitrary though. what is it about a boiled potato which means it doesn't count as opposed to a boiled carrot?

Potatoes don't have nearly as many vitamins in as other fruit and veg. That's what I've been told. It's not really to stop you eating five bags of crisps because you can only count each vegetable once.

 

[Citizen66]

Yes, tomatoes are technically fruit.

Drat.

 

[Fuchs66]

YES it is a vegetable. end thread.

As is chocolate

 

[Chz]

Potatoes don't have nearly as many vitamins in as other fruit and veg. That's what I've been told. It's not really to stop you eating five bags of crisps because you can only count each vegetable once.

What? Compared to celery? They're fairly good sources of fibre, iron, and potassium (skin-on, of course). There's a small amount of C and B-complex, but admittedly not much compared to many other vegetables. Turn them into chips and there's only the iron left, pretty much.

My point about that was that most people already[/i] ignore the "count each vegetable once" bit. It gets entirely ignored. I've heard one fool at work claim that he makes up for his dreadful lunches by "eating an entire broccoli" to make up his 5 a day.

 

[moose]

Veggie sausage and mash. Job done.

 

[pogofish]

that all seems a bit arbitrary though. what is it about a boiled potato which means it doesn't count as opposed to a boiled carrot?

It is quite arbitrary.

And carrots need to be cooked in order to realise most of their food value.