When trying to start a healthier diet, knowing which ingredients we should be excluding from our diet can be confusing. There are some food types that are suggested by nutritionists that we keep to a minimum or eat in moderation. Popular food groups that are branded as unhealthy are potatoes and pasta. They are full of carbohydrates that people would tell you to avoid when trying to lose weight. When comparing the two food types, potatoes vs pasta, it is hard to know which is better out of the two.
In this article we will be comparing potatoes and pasta with each other. We will also discuss why both of these food types are good for you.
Table of Contents
- Are Pasta And Potatoes Healthy?
- What’s Worse, Potatoes Or Pasta?
- Potatoes vs Pasta: The Showdown
- FAQs
- Out Of The Two Food Types, We Would Recommend That Potatoes Would Be The Better Choice
Are Pasta And Potatoes Healthy?
Both pasta and potatoes can be healthy for you in many ways. Both of the ingredients are very high in potassium. Potassium is needed in our body as it can regulate the heartbeat and ensure proper function of the muscles and nerves.
Pasta does contain more minerals such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate than potatoes. Meanwhile, potatoes contain more Vitamin B6 than pasta. Therefore they both have their benefits and are healthy for us in certain ways.
Are potatoes healthier than pasta? Many nutritionists state that potatoes are healthier than pasta as they provide more complex carbohydrates that can provide energy for longer periods of time. This has been debated as both potatoes and pasta are very high in complex carbohydrates, with potatoes slightly providing more than pasta.
Nutrients also advise that it is always best to have a diet that is balanced. Eating food in moderation is always wise!
What’s Worse, Potatoes Or Pasta?
If you are looking to see which food type is worse out of potatoes or pasta, this is a tricky one!
Both pasta and potatoes have their benefits. Potatoes contain more vitamins and certain minerals such as potassium. Potatoes rank higher on the glycemic index when compared to pasta, making potatoes better for you. Ranking high on the glycemic index means that a potato’s carbohydrates actually get into the bloodstream faster than pasta. This means that you can gain more energy for a longer period of time from potatoes than you can from pasta.
However, if you are diabetic with high blood sugar, any food that ranks high on the glycemic index will not be good for you. You should not consume them in large amounts.
Potatoes vs Pasta: The Showdown
Potato Vs Pasta Calories
If you are looking for which is the better complex carbohydrate when trying to lose weight, we have your answer.
We would recommend that if you are going to eat either one of pasta or potatoes that you choose potatoes. Potatoes have 79% less calories than pasta on average. Per 100 grams of pasta, there are 371 calories. Meanwhile, potatoes contain 79 calories per 100 grams. But even though pasta contains more calories, it is actually slightly lighter in carbohydrates.
Potatoes Vs Pasta for Bodybuilding
If you are into bodybuilding or have just started to work out what diet you need to incorporate to start bodybuilding, we would recommend that you avoid both pasta and potatoes.
If you are wanting to eat a complex carbohydrate which can give you energy for a lot longer, then rice may be the best option. Rice also fits into the complex carbohydrate food group but also has a low calorie number when compared to pasta or potatoes.
Pasta Or Potatoes For Weight Loss
Many people believe that potatoes are actually worse for dieting than pasta. This is because potatoes have a high carbohydrate content and can be broken down in the body quickly and stored as fat.
Many also believe that pasta takes longer to be broken down. So it is more ideal for you than potatoes if you are trying to diet or lose weight.
Boiled Potatoes Vs Pasta
Any kind of potatoes, including boiled potatoes, actually provide complex carbohydrates that can deliver more energy than pasta can. Potatoes are also full of vitamins and minerals making them beneficial for the body and easier to digest.
We would say that when comparing the benefits of boiled potatoes vs pasta – boiled potatoes are the way to go.
FAQs
Is Pasta Healthier Than Fries?
Both pasta and fries that are made from potatoes are high in calories and carbohydrates. Both pasta and fries are also high in dietary fiber and potassium, making these two foods healthy for you in certain ways. Although the two food types are equal in many ways, pasta has 7.4 times less saturated fat than potato fries, which means potatoes are healthier for you.
If you are looking for vitamins and minerals then perhaps pasta is better. It actually contains a higher amount of niacin and folate, making pasta the better choice for vitamins and mineral than potato fries.
What Has More Carbs Pasta Or Potatoes?
Out of the two, pasta is higher in carbohydrates when compared to potatoes. Russet potato on average has 76% less carbohydrate content than pasta does. Pasta contains 75 grams of total carbohydrates per 100 grams whereas a russet potato has 18 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Potatoes can provide an energy delivery complex carbohydrates that can be more beneficial for the body than pasta.
Out Of The Two Food Types, We Would Recommend That Potatoes Would Be The Better Choice
Both pasta and potties have huge benefits to being included into your diet. Pasta is full of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate whereas potatoes have a high content of vitamin B6. All of these vitamins and minerals are great for the body and essential to the body running smoothly. Potatoes have a higher amount of complex carbohydrates when compared to pasta. These complex carbohydrates can provide energy for the body for longer periods of time. If you are trying to lose weight, then potatoes also contain less calories. Overall, we would recommend that potatoes are the healthiest option out of the two food types, potatoes and pasta.
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