To set the record straight and to end any family dinner time disputes, yes, a potato is technically (botanically) a vegetable- but doesn’t count towards your 5-a-Day as is nutritionally a starchy carbohydrate. Here’s everything you need to know about spuds, from what they are, to why they’re vital to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.
What is a potato?
It may seem like a silly question, but there is in fact a lot of confusion around what potatoes actually are and what benefits they have. In all fairness, they do contain a number of different nutrients, so we’ll let you off if you’re a little muddled, but hopefully we can help.
Check out some frequently asked questions below on all things spuds!
Are potatoes a carb?
Now we’ve established that a potato is in fact botanically vegetable, we can confirm that they also belong to the carbohydrate group, one of the three main macronutrients in our diet.
More specifically, potatoes are a starchy carb, which provide the slow and steady release of energy (the type of carbohydrate athletes load up on the night before a big race or match). Starchy foods also include pasta, rice and bread and cereal.
