All too often the potato is guilty by allusion and association. Although the potato appears to be a bulky vegetable, it is 80 percent water, just a little less than in milk. Its association with high calorie toppings like butter, sour cream, gravy and mayonnaise dressing to name a few, puts the low calorie potato at a disadvantage. Just one tablespoon of butter will double the number of calories in a baked potato. There are many low calorie ways to prepare potatoes deliciously.
Authorities are opposed to fad reducing diets that rule out whole categories of foods.
These diets rob us of valuable nutrients and are often harmful to health. Fad diets force us to make needless sacrifices of foods we like to eat and, perhaps above all, do nothing to teach a plan for eating for-life that will prevent recurring bouts with excess weight. The best diet is one based on a variety of nutritious foods, and the potato offers a high return of nutrients for relatively few calories. Many people think they know which foods are high in calories and which are low in calories. But a direct comparison between the following foods, many of which are generally included on weight control diets, may surprise you.