I have been eating an excessive quantity of potatoes for years. It started in college where I went from 140lbs to 205lbs in about 45 days from eating potatoes for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and snack. Red potatoes, white potatoes, russet potatoes, fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, twice-baked potato, potato skins, scallop potatoes, french fries. I could finish off a 10lb bag of potatoes and a bucket of butter in a couple days.
Unfortunately, that obsessive passion for potatoes has stuck with me long past my college years (where I was prompted primarily by a tight budget). I say unfortunate because they are not exactly ideal for one’s health and particularly for one’s weight.
Since October 1st, 2010, I have not (intentionally) consumed potatoes (in any form). I’ve done the same (mostly) with sugar. It’s not been easy, especially the potatoes. They are really the only thing I’ve craved over the last few months.
So as tonight’s experiment, I am attempting to fry some sweet potatoes. I’ve never liked sweet potatoes (or yams), but so far they are about the closest thing I have found to the real thing. My experiment was prompted from the rumors that sweet potatoes are more healthy than regular potatoes. Is this true?
According to Wikipedia, the sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum). Here’s a comparison between the two:
| Regular Potato | Sweet Potato | |
| Carbohydrates | 19g | 20.1g |
| Starch | 15g | 12.7g |
| Protein | 2g | 1.6g |
| Fat | .1g | .1g |
Apparently the most significant dietary difference is in the glycemic index. Potatoes have simple carbohydrates which are easily broken down to sugars in the blood which can rapidly increase the insulin production in the body. As such, some people say that too much consumption can lead to diabetes. Yikes.
Sweet potatoes have a more complex carbohydrate which is not as easily broken down into sugars. Additionally, they are higher in fiber (for whatever that is worth).
My experiment on the stove is now over and I am about to sample it to determine how it compares to my favorite all-time meal….
Well, there’s a reason why they call them sweet. Despite the excessive use of peppers (red and black) and an array of other spices, the sweet is still there and overpowers everything else. There is a distant taste of what I was hoping for, but it’s too distant for me to ever try making this meal again. As it stands, I have yet to find an attractive substitute to the food that makes me most happy.