How many calories in a baked potato? Most calorie books will tell you a medium potato contains about 150 calories. Calorie king says 145 calories and 33 grams of carbs for a standard sized potato (2 1/3″ by 4 3/4″). A large potato is reported as containing 278 calories and 63 grams of carbs. However not all baked potatoes are created equal! They range in size from the tiny fingerling potatoes to the jumbo sized potato I recently spotted.

Jumbo potato sighting
I was meeting friends for drinks at Smith & Wolensky’s in NYC last week. Standing at the bar, I spotted a baked potato from across the room that was at least half the size of someone’s head! It was the largest baked potato I’ve even seen. So of course, I had to take a picture with my cell phone AND take one home in a doggie bag to weigh it. My friends are getting used to me taking pictures of food on people’s plates in restaurants after my episode of the popover at BLT Steak in NYC.

I took the potato home and weighed it. It was 24 ounces! This comes out to be 634 calories, .7 grams of fat and 146 grams of carbs. And this is before you add the butter and sour cream (which can add another 400 calories plus!) )

Potatoes vs. pasta
I often recommend potatoes instead pasta to my clients. This is because a potato is a single item. Cook one small baked potato (6 oz) and you have a 160 calorie dish. Compare this to pasta - people usually make too much and then eat too much. Most people tend to eat at least 3 -4 cups of pasta for 500 - 650 calories (and this doesn’t include the calories from the sauce!). White potatoes often get a bad rap because they are higher on the glycemic index chart (ranging from 60-85). However, when you eat potatoes as part of a balanced meal along with some protein and a little fat, the glycemic index is lowered.  Another option would be to eat a sweet potato. They contain even more nutrients and are lower in the glycemic index (~ 54) as compared to white potatoes.  

Nutritional content of potatoes
Both sweet and white potatoes contain approximately 5 grams of fiber for a medium sized potato. They also contain 80 calories per 3 ounces. Get out your food scale and check out the size of your potato! An average small potato would be 6 ounces (160 calories) and a medium potato might be 9 ounces (240 calories).

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A. They are also a very good source of vitamin C and manganese. In addition, sweet potatoes are a good source of copper, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, fiber and iron.

White potatoes are a very good source of vitamin C. They are also a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber.

Top spud eating tips
1. Look for smaller sized potatoes. As I mentioned previously, all potatoes are not created equal!
2. While it is perfectly acceptable to eat white potatoes, a better bet would be sweet potatoes as they contain more nutrients and have a lower glycemic index
3. Avoid the typical high calorie high fat potato toppings such as butter and sour cream. One tablespoon of butter contains 100 calories and 11 grams of fat, while 2 tablespoons of sour cream contains 60 calories and 6 grams of fat.
4. Healthier toppings for potatoes include:
- Low fat butter spray  (i.e. Olivio or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter): negligible calories and fat for a few sprays
- Low fat margarine spread: 50 calories and 6 grams of fat per Tablespoon (nutritional content varies depending upon the brand of spread)
- Plain yogurt (try the Total 2% fat Greek Yogurt): 2 Tablespoons are 35 calories and 1 gm fat
- Salsa: 10 calories and 0 grams of fat for 2 Tablespoons
- Favored mustard: negligible calories and fat
- Low fat cheese: one once is approximately 70 calories and 5 grams of fat. Compare this to regular cheese for 100 calories and 10 grams of fat per ounce
- Laughing Cow Light Cheese: one wedge is 35 calories and 2 grams of fat
- 1% cottage cheese: 1/2 cup is 80 calories and 1 gram of fat
- Chili: 1/2 cup is approximately 130 calories and 6 grams of fat

Try these other ways to enjoy potatoes:
- Purée roasted garlic, cooked potatoes and a small amount of olive oil together to make delicious garlic mashed potatoes. Season to taste.
- Make a Salad Nicoise by boiling new potatoes and add to chunks of tuna fish and steamed green beans dressed lightly with oil and vinegar.
- Toss steamed, diced potato with olive oil and fresh herbs of your choice.
- Pack a baked sweet potato for lunch, topped with vanilla yogurt or cinnamon-flavored applesauce
- Make mashed potatoes with skim milk and low fat butter spray

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