‘Don’t blame the spud!’: Nutritionist speaks up in defence of the potato

When it comes to weight gain, many people put the blame for extra kilograms on carbohydrates. Going gluten free has become popular in recent years, with the focus initially on cutting out pasta, rice and bread. When that doesn’t work, many cut out potatoes as well, according to Australian sports nutritionist Abby Shaw. Ms Shaw wrote in Nine Coach that many of her clients cut out carbs and then come to her saying they’re not losing any weight. ‘Sorry to burst your bubble, but it is probably not the potato that made you gain the extra few kilograms,’ she said. ‘My guess is it is what you are putting on the potato, or maybe how you are cooking the potato, or that the potato in fact been turned into french fries. Please don’t blame the spud!’ The nutritionist said that the way you consume potatoes is the most important thing. So out with the chips and fried potato, in with having them whole and baked. ‘[Whole potatoes] contain 10 percent or more of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, pantothenic acid and potassium,’ Ms Shaw explained. More