Calories in baked Potato - HEALTH BENEFITS, NUTRIENTS
Baked potato is often considered as one of the most staple food choices not only among Indians, but also among people from some of the major parts of the world. Adding one piece of baked potato to your rice or steak dish during lunch or dinner can make the meal filling and balanced with carbohydrates.
This article is going to be a detailed account of the nutrients and calories that are present in baked potatoes, the health benefits that you may get from baked potatoes, and other vital facts.
Calorie content in baked potatoes:
There are certain factors on which the amounts of calories that are found in baked potatoes might depend, some of which include the following:
The way you cook the potatoes
If you are baking the potatoes with or without skin
The size of the potatoes and the portion size of baked potato intake
The ingredients used while making these potatoes.
But on an average, each medium-sized baked potato which weighs roughly 173 grams with the skin intact is naturally low in calories and can contain almost around 150 to 160 kcal.
Nutritional profile in baked potatoes:
If you are adding baked potatoes to your diet, it is highly likely that you will get some amounts of nutrients from them. Here is a complete list of the nutrients present in baked potatoes given below, along with the approximate measures of the amounts of nutrients present:
Protein: 4.3 grams
Fat: 0.2 grams
Carbohydrates: 37 grams
Dietary Fiber: 4 grams
Apart from these macro-nutrients, there are some amounts of micro-nutrients such as minerals like Potassium, Manganese, Magnesium, and Iron and vitamins like folate or folic acid, vitamin B complex (especially B6), and Vitamin C can also be found in baked potatoes.
What are the health benefits of having baked potatoes?
Given the nutritional components that are found in baked potatoes, here are some of the major health benefits of having them:
1.Helps in improving your overall digestion
2.Keeps your heart healthy
3.Boosts the flow of blood and blood pressure
4.Helps in protecting body cells.
Which doctor to consult before adding baked potatoes in your diet?
Many doctors often recommend people to have baked potatoes in their diet to balance carbohydrate intake, but high carbohydrate intake may not be good for all. So, before adding hard baked potato to your diet, you must consult a registered dietitian or a nutritionist to know if baked potato is good for your health or how much of this baked potato you must add to your diet based on your health and calorie intake.
Final Thoughts:
Baked potato can be an overall healthy food item to add to your daily diet, but if you are conscious about your calorie and carbohydrate intake, it is important to be conscious about your baked potato intake. If needed, you should take expert opinion first to know whether baked potato should be added to your diet at all.
Also Check: Calories in mashed Potatoes - Nutrition Facts Information