# Question regarding Potatoes...



## ExLe (Dec 10, 2011)

For Carb sources I am currently using pinto beans, oats, brown rice, and yams...

The yams are starting to get pricey and they are my least favorite tasting carb...

The russet potato on the other hand comes in 10lb bags year round and are dirt cheap and much better tasting...

I have always read and been told that russet potatoes are a poor choice as far as a good carb source do to it having a high GI rating...

Last night I started researching potatoes and read that the GI rating for a baked potato is at 85 (High), but a boiled potato is only 56 (medium)...

Everybody agrees brown rice is an excellent carb source...

The GI rating for brown rice is 55 (medium) very comparable to the boiled potato...

My question being...

Is there any other drawback to adding boiled russet potatoes as a carb source daily?...

I am clean bulking and want to minimize fat gains as much as possible...

Thanks...


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## ThreeGigs (Dec 11, 2011)

Boiling or baking doesn't matter, really. Dig a little further and you'll find that the GI of potatoes varies wildly, even among the same cultivar.  Personally, I'm a huge fan of baked potatoes, since I can bake a bunch once a week and reheat them in the microwave. Baking also prevents the potassium in the potatoes from being leached into the boiling water, and spuds are an awesome source of potassium. Now, if you're set on boiling them, why not try mashed potatoes? Nothing gets taken out of the pot, so you get all the minerals.

And if you are really worried about GI, just eat your potatoes with some fats, which will slow gastric emptying and spread the carbs out over a longer period, effectively lowering the GI. However GI isn't a measure of how fattening a carb is, just a guide to indicate the insulin response. And if your muscles are always taking up glucose for glycogen replenishment, the GI won't make any difference to carb partitioning.


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## Vibrant (Dec 11, 2011)

I dont eat potatoes of any kind. check out buckwheat and quinoa for carb sources, an added bonus with them is that they have protein in them as well.


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## ExLe (Dec 11, 2011)

Vibrant said:


> I dont eat potatoes of any kind. check out buckwheat and quinoa for carb sources, an added bonus with them is that they have protein in them as well.


 



I am adding quinoa as a carb source when my brown rice runs out next week...

A bro mentioned it to me and since then I have been researching it...

From what I have read it's the King of carbs a BB can eat...

One of the only carbs thats protein is a complete protein...

I hear it's a bit pricy, but i can make it work...

Never looked into buckwheat...

Vibrant, do you buy it in bulk in an open bin?...

Do you know how much it cost per pound?


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## Vibrant (Dec 11, 2011)

ExLe said:


> I am adding quinoa as a carb source when my brown rice runs out next week...
> 
> A bro mentioned it to me and since then I have been researching it...
> 
> ...



research buckwheat for sure. imo its even better than quinoa, it even has more protein per serving. it has a very good amount of minerals as well.

I eat buckwheat everyday, sometimes even more than once. I have a few really tasty recipes for when I get tired of eating it plain.

I usually buy it in bulk bags from russian/ukrainian stores, if there are no european stores in the city im in, I go to a whole foods store. But for some reason the buckwheat from european tastes better imo.

some european stores sell bulk bags which are about 6lbs for about $8-10. it usually lasts about 1- 1 1/2 months for me.


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## Vibrant (Dec 11, 2011)

also the gi index for buckwheat is 54. higher than quinoa but way more protein. 100 grams of buckwheat has 13grams protein vs 4gram for quinoa.


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## ExLe (Dec 11, 2011)

Vibrant said:


> also the gi index for buckwheat is 54. higher than quinoa but way more protein. 100 grams of buckwheat has 13grams protein vs 4gram for quinoa.


 

I will look into it tonight bro... Thanks... 

So is that a no go on a russet potato boild with skin?... It's just hard to overlook a 10lb bag for $3 and the taste!...


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## ThreeGigs (Dec 11, 2011)

ExLe said:


> I will look into it tonight bro... Thanks...
> 
> So is that a no go on a russet potato boild with skin?... It's just hard to overlook a 10lb bag for $3 and the taste!...



Take a look:
Quinoa nutrition facts
Baked potato nutrition facts
Boiled potato nutrition facts

I don't care about complete proteins from my carb sources, just the EAAs. And potatoes and quinoa are both equal on that front. Quinoa has more protein per serving, but are you choosing a protein source here or a carb source? Do you eat lamb because it has a higher amount of carbs per pound than chicken? No? Then don't choose a carb based on protein. That said, it is a good idea to pay attention to the EAAs in your carbs, because proteins and aminos compete for absorption in the small intestine, and you definitely want a higher percentage of EAAs than NEAAs in your food.

*Do* choose a carb based on vitamins and minerals.
Potatoes are listed as having a higher completeness score for vitamins and minerals than quinoa. Mostly because quinoa doesn't have Jack Squat for vitamin C. But more importantly, what do you know about potassium? How much do you need a day? (A: 3.5 grams-ish). How much do you get from your diet? (A: probably half that or less, seriously). What is potassium used for? (A: nerve impulses for muscle contractions... something important to most of us on these forums, no?). And you know what else is cool about potassium? Unlike sodium, which is mainly in the fluids between cells and in the blood, potassium is mostly _in_ the cells, especially muscle cells. The upshot of that is that a higher concentration of potassium in the muscle cells will pull water into the cells, keeping them more hydrated, and making your muscles look fuller. Now compare quinoa to potatoes as a potassium source. Yeah, spuds rule when it comes to potassium, especially baked potatoes (or mashed).

Devils advocate: Quinoa is a better source of other minerals, like phosphorous, zinc and manganese, than potatoes. Now, if you're taking a multivitamin it's a moot point, otherwise quinoa wins as a source of micro minerals.

Ok, to answer your question more simply: Are potatoes a no go? To me, they're a definite YES. Potatoes and a multivitamin trumps quinoa on price, and has all the minor minerals, plus lots of potassium. And there's the taste. Quinoa isn't horrible or anything, but a big baked potato with your daily allowance of saturated fats (e.g. butter and sour cream) beats quinoa hands down in my opinion.


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## ThreeGigs (Dec 12, 2011)

Vibrant said:


> I dont eat potatoes of any kind. check out buckwheat and quinoa for carb sources, an added bonus with them is that they have protein in them as well.



I'll add a Thumbs up to buckwheat too.  Just not as tasty as potatoes. And unless you're a vegetarian, you really don't need to worry so much about proteins in your carb sources.


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## ExLe (Dec 12, 2011)

ThreeGigs said:


> Take a look:
> Quinoa nutrition facts
> Baked potato nutrition facts
> Boiled potato nutrition facts
> ...


 



Thanks bro...

Good read...


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## TR1FE (Dec 13, 2011)

You cannot simply rely on the GI rating of the food, you are ignoring the fact that you are having a meal which contains other food products. Other food sources, such as proteins, lower the overall response. You don't need to watch this unless you are diabetic. Lastly, there's no such thing as "clean bulking." Foods cannot be categorized as "clean" vs "dirty"


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## KingLouie (Dec 13, 2011)

solid info, thanks for sharing!


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