Potato · cooked

The potato is a simple, very filling carb source: 18 g of carbs for 86 kcal per 100 g cooked, with potassium and some fibre. It is among the most filling foods per calorie — a valuable asset when cutting.

Long unfairly maligned, it is actually an excellent starch as long as you control the preparation (avoid frying).

When cutting, its filling power helps hold a deficit without hunger. When bulking, it is easy to eat in quantity to refill glycogen. Benchmark: 250 g of cooked potato ≈ 45 g of carbs for ~215 kcal.

Steamed, baked or boiled: these methods keep the potato healthy and low in calories. Frying (fries, crisps) adds a lot of fat and calories. Tip: cooled then reheated, it forms resistant starch, which increases satiety.

Few people know it: in satiety-index studies, boiled potato tops the ranking, ahead of bread, pasta or rice. Its water, fibre and low calorie density mean you feel full for few calories.

That is a huge asset when cutting: in place of a less filling starch, plain potato helps hold a deficit without hunger. The trap is the preparation — keep it steamed, baked or boiled, not fried.

There are firm-fleshed varieties (charlotte, ratte, fingerling types), ideal steamed, boiled or in salads, and floury varieties (bintje, russet types), perfect for mash, baking or gratins. For training, the variety matters little: simply pick the one that makes you want to eat your carb portion regularly without getting bored.

When buying, look for firm tubers without green patches, sprouts or soft spots. Store them away from light in a cool, dry place, never raw in the fridge: cold turns part of the starch into sugars. A greened or heavily sprouted potato contains solanine, which you should avoid: peel generously or throw it away.

The potato is a genuine source of potassium (roughly 400 to 450 mg per 100 g cooked), useful for fluid balance and muscle function, as well as vitamin C and vitamin B6. These micronutrients make it much more than a simple bag of carbs.

Keeping the skin on, well scrubbed, brings more fibre and minerals, especially when baked or steamed. If you peel it, do so after cooking: water-soluble nutrients are lost less. Note that a potato boiled in its skin stays richer than one peeled and cut into pieces before boiling.

Steamed, the potato keeps its flavour and minerals with no added fat. Baked, cut into wedges with a measured drizzle of olive oil (one teaspoon is enough for a portion), it turns crisp for a fraction of the calories of deep frying. In an air fryer the result is close to fries with very little oil.

For a quick complete meal, roast a tray of potatoes with herbs, a protein source such as chicken breast or cod, and a vegetable such as spinach. Shepherd's pie, combining mash, minced meat and vegetables, shows well how the potato fits into a balanced everyday dish.

The glycaemic index of the potato varies a lot with preparation: high for mash or a baked potato served hot, it drops noticeably when the potato is cooked then cooled, because part of the starch turns into resistant starch, digested more slowly. A warm or cold potato salad is therefore gentler on blood glucose.

For performance this is no problem: around training, a high glycaemic index can even be useful to refill glycogen quickly. The rest of the day, combine the potato with protein, vegetables and a little fat, which slows absorption and extends satiety.

The first mistake is judging the potato by fries, crisps or mash drowned in butter and cream: the problem lies in the preparation, not the tuber. The second is weighing raw then comparing with cooked values: 100 g of raw potato and 100 g of cooked potato do not have the same macros, so always weigh according to the state shown on the sheet.

Third mistake: overlooking sauces and toppings. A spoonful of cream or grated cheese quickly adds 60 to 100 kcal. Finally, do not always eat the potato alone: without protein or vegetables the meal is unbalanced, even if the starch itself is of good quality.

At breakfast, a few potatoes sautéed in a pan with very little oil and eggs form a solid savoury base. At lunch, a 200 to 250 g cooked portion next to a lean protein and a big bowl of vegetables makes a complete meal. In the evening, it easily replaces rice or pasta if you want variety.

Around training, a boiled potato or light mash, low in fibre and fat, digests well and refills glycogen fast. Plan it roughly two hours before the session, or right after, with a quality protein source to kick-start recovery.

Sweet potato, cassava, butternut squash and parsnip play a role close to that of the potato. Dehydrated potato flakes help when travelling, but read the label: industrial preparations sometimes contain excess salt, fat or flavour enhancers.

New potatoes, smaller with thin skins, are eaten whole with the skin and cook quickly. Roasted baby potatoes with rosemary and garlic are a simple, tasty side that is easy to batch-prepare for the week.