Can potatoes help you lose weight?

Carbohydrates get a bad rap. But while some carbs are more nutritious than others, they play an important part in a healthy, balanced diet.

Potatoes, one of the most carb-heavy vegetables out there, have long been misunderstood. But the truth is they contain a wealth of micronutrients, are low in calories (a medium-sized potato contains just 110 calories) and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

In the past, potatoes (which have a mid to high glycaemic index, or GI) were often found on lists of foods to avoid, especially for people with insulin resistance. This is because high GI foods risk causing a spike in blood sugars, increasing your risk of type 2 diabetes.¹

But thankfully, these days misunderstandings around potatoes are being kicked to the curb.

As one 2022 study found, potatoes won't only help with weight loss, but also lower insulin resistance² (which occurs when your body no longer responds to insulin the way it should and so produces more and more of it in an attempt to stabilise your blood glucose levels).

In this study and others, researchers found that potatoes do not negatively impact blood glucose levels, and there is no reason for people with type 2 diabetes to avoid them when eaten as part of a well-balanced meal.³

Simply put, potatoes can help you lose weight.

The 2022 study looked at 36 people aged between 18 and 60 who were overweight and had insulin resistance. Participants were given 2 different diets, both high in fruits and veggies, and swapped 40% of their typical meat consumption with pulses (beans) or potatoes.

As registered dietitian and co-investigator of the study Professor Candida Rebello said in a media statement, “People tend to eat the same weight of food regardless of calorie content in order to feel full.”⁴

“By eating foods with a heavier weight that are low in calories, you can easily reduce the number of calories you consume.”

“The key aspect of our study is that we did not reduce the portion size of meals but lowered their caloric content by including potatoes.”

Each participant’s lunch and dinner were tailored to their own calorific needs and potatoes were provided in the form of shepherd's pie, mashed potatoes, wedges, potato salad and scalloped potatoes.

“Participants found themselves fuller, quicker and often did not even finish their meal,” Rebello concluded.

To increase their dietary fibre, potatoes were boiled (skin intact) and chilled in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, which naturally increases the amount of resistant starch they contain. Resistant starch is a type of fibre that takes longer to digest and has been shown to improve blood sugar control.

And this isn’t the only research highlighting the weight-loss benefits of potatoes.

A 2018 study revealed that when overweight women ate foods that were less energy-dense, like potatoes, early in the day, they were able to lose weight and keep it off.⁵ Again, scientists put this down to staying fuller throughout the day without relying on high-calorie alternatives.

While potatoes are an important part of a healthy diet, how you prepare them can make a big difference in your weight-loss efforts.

Meaning, those large takeaway chips might not be the right way to go about it (which isn’t to say you need to avoid that next breakfast hash brown).

Riley Kusuma, Bupa Dietitian, agrees that potatoes are a great addition to a healthy, balanced diet, and that they can help you reach your weight loss goals.

“Potatoes rate very highly on the satiety index, which means they keep you fuller and satisfied for longer after eating,” says Kusuma.

When considering how much potato to include in your meal, Kusuma recommends keeping the portion to one quarter of your plate.

“Half a medium-sized potato will count as one of your serves of vegetables per day. And a balanced main meal should include half a plate of non-starchy vegetables, a quarter plate of carbohydrates or starchy vegetables and a quarter plate of protein.”

And before you start peeling that spud, consider that a medium potato with the skin provides around 7% of your daily fibre needs, something most Australians are falling short of.⁶

“Keeping the skin on your potatoes will also boost your fibre intake, which is another way to help you stay fuller for longer,” says Kusuma.