White Rice Or Potatoes, Which Is Better For You? | Simplot Foods - Southeast Asia (2024)

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No matter what your dietary choice is, and that you feel like giving a starch-rich diet a try, chances are there is going to be a potato or rice dish in your future. But is it better to eat rice or potatoes? Is there a nutritional difference between the two?

Think about it, a homely and hearty meal of stew and potatoes or a yummy stir fry on top of fluffy rice? For those of us watching our weight, the stir fry would probably be the obvious choice. But let’s take a deep dive into the differences in the beneficial nutrients they contain.

Better starch?

When it comes to starches, potatoes and rice are both important foods because they contain vital energy sources for your body. Starch is a form of carbohydrate that you need every day to support the functioning of your heart, nervous system, brain, and other key organs. And, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, both potatoes and rice can be helpful when you’re trying to lose weight. Both have practically little to no fat, contain nutritional value and are relatively similar in calories. Yet and still, there are differences. Let’s explore the benefits and crown the champion.

Nutritional Benefits Compared

When examined more closely, potatoes may win the nutrition battle. When it comes to vitamin B6, which helps support your body in the production of red blood cells and amino acids, rice provides you 30% of the recommended daily amount, while the equivalent serving of potatoes gives you half the daily amount! Potatoes also have vitamin C, unlike rice. Plus, potatoes contain three times more minerals than rice, such as phosphorus, potassium and magnesium when you leave the skin on. Sweet potatoes on the other hand are even healthier than the standard potato, containing as much as twice the high amounts of vitamin!

In conclusion

Overall, potatoes contain more vitamins and nutrients than rice. And if given the choice between rice or potatoes, 9 times out of 10, we would certainly go with potatoes simply because they are more versatile and can be made in many different ways. There isn’t much you can do with rice without switching up the spices, sauce and herbs, but you can definitely bake, sauté, fry, slice, dice, mash, and so much more with a potato!

In addition to that, you can also make them even healthier by eating them chilled, which makes for an excellent potato salad, which is yet another way potato sways the vote for us. But at the end of the day, either rice or potatoes can be part of a healthy meal!

Sources:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zf339j6/articles/zxwwsrd

https://www.reidhealth.org/blog/carbohydrates-101-the-benefits-of-carbohydrates

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/nutrients-rice-vs-potatoes-2871.html

https://www.healthdigest.com/353073/vitamin-b6-vs-b12-whats-the-difference/

https://www.healthdigest.com/272934/if-you-need-more-vitamin-c-start-eating-these-foods/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/134806-baked-potato-vs-rice-nutrition/

https://www.thestatesman.com/lifestyle/food/cook-potatoes-healthiest-way-boost-nutrition-1502667895.html

https://www.healthdigest.com/376031/the-downsides-of-eating-white-rice/

https://www.livescience.com/45838-potato-nutrition.html

White Rice Or Potatoes, Which Is Better For You? | Simplot Foods - Southeast Asia (2024)

FAQs

Which is healthier, white rice or potatoes? ›

Of rice, pasta, potatoes, and bread, potatoes are the healthiest of these starchy and complex carbohydrate foods. This is because potatoes are dense in nutrients, containing essential minerals, vitamins, and other micronutrients. Potatoes are also high in fiber, helping to satiate hunger and regulate blood sugar.

Which has lower GI rice or potatoes? ›

For example brown rice has a score of 68, potatoes are close to 100. Sweet potatoes have a Gl score of 63 and white rice a score of 73. Thus, potatoes contain a high glycemic index equal to pure glucose. Eating potatoes instead of rice is not a good thing for many people because of the more fiber in potatoes.

Does the world eat more potatoes or rice? ›

The potato is the third most important food crop in the world after rice and wheat in terms of human consumption. More than a billion people worldwide eat potato, and global total crop production exceeds 300 million metric tons. There are more than 4,000 varieties of native potatoes, mostly found in the Andes.

Which is healthier rice or fries? ›

Yet not all carbs are created equal. What was most unexpected about the results, is that even french fries cooked in oil came out higher in the carbohydrate health hierarchy than pasta and rice. Mashed potatoes were the real winner, with children consuming 30-40 per cent fewer calories at meals.

Why do bodybuilders eat rice instead of potatoes? ›

White Rice for Workouts

According to USA Rice Information, rice contains more carbohydrates than potatoes for the same serving size. Parboiled, converted, and instant white rice is suggested for pre and post-workout meals. Consuming white rice ensures the body is properly fueled for the competitive athlete.

How many potatoes should I eat a day? ›

As a general rule in the potato diet, one can consume 0.9 to 2.3 kg of potatoes daily. A study shows that eating one medium-size potato, either baked or steamed a day, is a part of a healthy diet process that will reduce the risk of cardiometabolic risk, stroke, and diabetes.

Should diabetics eat potatoes or rice? ›

You Can Eat Potatoes & Rice Without Spiking Your Blood Sugar Levels. Monitoring the intake of carbohydrates is crucial to manage blood sugar levels. But you don't have to restrict or refrain from rice & potatoes if you like them, even if you have diabetes.

Can I replace rice with potatoes? ›

Both potatoes and rice are starch content and will give you the requisite energy, substituting rice with potatoes, sweet potato, raw banana cooked, or even cassava, yams, is excellent health friendly diet.

Do potatoes raise blood sugar? ›

They're also chock full of starch, which is a carbohydrate. But even though a potato is considered a complex “healthy” carb, your body digests these carbs faster than other kinds of complex carbs. These broken-down carbs flood your blood with sugar. This makes your blood sugar spike quickly.

Why does China eat so many potatoes? ›

Potatoes have been planted throughout China since their introduction 400 years ago. They have become the main staple food for many Chinese people, especially in the remote mountainous regions. Through the years, different regions have developed different cooking methods for this highly versatile vegetable.

What is the 1 food in the world? ›

Ranked as the number one cuisine in the world, Italian food is a favorite internationally. With so many wonderful dishes originating from this country, it is almost impossible to pick just one.

What is the most eaten food in the world? ›

Rice is the staple food of more than half the world's population, and it's been that way for centuries. It's cheap, it's filling, and it can be easily grown in a variety of climates. Rice is so important to so many people that it's no surprise that it's the world's most-eaten food.

Why is potato better than rice? ›

Potatoes also have vitamin C, unlike rice. Plus, potatoes contain three times more minerals than rice, such as phosphorus, potassium and magnesium when you leave the skin on. Sweet potatoes on the other hand are even healthier than the standard potato, containing as much as twice the high amounts of vitamin!

Is pasta healthier than chips? ›

Which has more calories: pasta or fries? Per a 100 gram serving of pasta there is 74 grams of total carbs, whereas fries have 41 grams of carbs per 100 gram serving. This means that pasta has 80% more carbohydrates than fries. However, both are considered to be high in carbohydrate content.

Is it okay to eat fried rice every day? ›

Fried rice is not a nutritionally balanced meal on its own, and you should enjoy it in moderation as part of a varied and balanced diet. Adding a variety of vegetables, lean protein sources, and whole grains can help to improve the nutritional value of fried rice.

Which is better for weight loss white rice or sweet potato? ›

If you want to lose weight, it's better to eat white sweet potato, instead of the ones with purple or yellow flesh. Be sure to steam or boil the tubers instead of using oil for cooking. You can substitute some rice with sweet potatoes to lose weight, but rice should not be switched out entirely.

What are the healthiest potatoes to eat? ›

All potatoes can fit into a healthy diet, but purple potatoes, red potatoes, and sweet potatoes—which are often grouped with potatoes—stand out due to their high amounts of protective plant compounds and essential nutrients.

What is the healthiest rice? ›

Whole grain rice such as brown rice is less processed and refined than white rice. As a result, brown rice contains more nutrients such as fiber and minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc.

Can I eat potatoes when cutting? ›

The Bottom Line. To put it simply, no food is off-limits in a healthy eating pattern, even if you're trying to lose weight. Though you may have heard that you need to cut out foods like fruit, potatoes and dessert, research shows that this is not actually the case.

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