Originally Posted by
License2Ill
Folks eat things like bananas for potassium and carbs, but you will find that a medium sized potato has double the potassium, much less sugars, and the same cals as a banana, so choices can sometimes be deceiving, and vary.
The problem is that the potato has a
lot of carbohydrates and they're
very easy to metabolize. The glycemic index for potatoes is
very high. As an insulin-dependent diabetic they're one of the foods that I routinely avoid because they're so likely to cause blood sugar spikes... no matter how much insulin I take. Bananas, on the other hand, seem to have a much lower glycemic index.
If you want to loose weight, or have steady fuel for a ride, a banana is actually a
much better choice than a potato. Most raw fruit has a (relatively) low glycemic index and calorie counts that are lower than packaged or restaurant foods. It's true that veggies have even lower calorie counts, but fruits are still a
very good choice when dieting!