The potato diet is one of the newest additions to the list of diet plans promising weight loss. Rich in fiber and nutrients, this diet can limit your calorie intake and boost your satiety level. Further, potatoes are good for your gut health.
Do you want to know more about this diet plan? Here’s a complete guide for you.
What Is A Potato Diet?
Potato diet is a restrictive diet method that promises around 1 pound weight loss every day. This diet plan includes having white potatoes for three to five days a week.
Further, this diet plan is good for your immune system and gut health. The history of the potato diet goes back to 1849. However, the diet plan became popular after Tim Steele published his book “Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified” in 2016.
What Are Potato Diet Rules?
Before getting into the details of the potato diet rules, please make a note that you must only have white potatoes. Tim Steele outlined seven rules for the potato diet in his 2016 book “Potato Hack: Weight Loss Simplified.”
Here are the things you need to follow.
- Take clean and cooked potatoes for three to five days.
- You have to eat two to three pounds of potatoes every day.
- Avoid having cheese, sour cream, ketchup, and other condiments with potato dishes.
- Limit your salt intake.
- Have water, tea, or black coffee in beverages.
- Avoid heavy exercises and only practice mild exercise or walking.
- Don’t take dietary supplements.
What Are Some Potato Diet Recipes?
It does not matter whether you are on a boiled potato diet or want to have more variations. There are many potato diet recipes for you.
Here, I will briefly share two recipes that will bring health benefits and make the foodie in you happy.
Vegan Potato-Leek Soup
In this soup, potatoes and garlic are the star ingredients. It also involves the use of different herbs. Further, to get the thickness and the texture right, soy milk is used in the soup. However, if you don’t want your soup to be extra creamy, you can avoid it or add it in a moderate amount.
Roasted Potato
If you need to prepare a potato dish quickly and you don’t want to compromise on the health quotient, you can make roasted potatoes. You can further add carrots or broccoli to this recipe to balance out the sweetness of potatoes.
Once the potatoes are roasted, you can add salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice. This recipe is a brilliant choice as a side dish and can also be your main meal when on a potato diet.
What Are The Benefits Of A Potato Diet?
If you notice the potato diet before and after changes, you will see many benefits. Easy to follow and low in calories, a potato diet can promote weight loss and better nutrient absorption.
Potato Diet Can Help In Losing Weight
When on a potato diet, you are allowed to have around 2-5 pounds of potatoes every day. Don’t get shocked knowing the quantity, as your body will gain only 530-1300 calories from them. The calorie count is less than what an adult is supposed to have in a day.
So, in this diet plan, you are consuming fewer calories, and that is helpful in promoting weight loss. Further, proteinase inhibitor 2, a type of compound, is present in potatoes. This compound makes digestion slow. So you do not feel hungry all the time.
However, this diet plan is most beneficial for short-term weight loss. You can quickly regain the weight. Also, this diet plan can cause muscle loss.
Further, in the absence of nutrients like zinc and vitamin B12, potatoes cannot ensure sustainable weight loss. A well-balanced plan will always be the best choice in this regard.
Potatoes Are Rich In Fiber
Rich in fiber, potatoes can help you manage the following health conditions better.
- Cardiac issues
- Type 2 diabetes
- Obesity
- Gut problem
- Digestive issues
Potatoes Are Powerhouses Of Various Nutrients
Do you want to be sure about the intake of enough vitamins and minerals? You can try the potato diet. Potatoes have the following nutrients.
- Folate
- Iron
- Potassium
- Vitamin C
Does A Sweet Potato Diet Help In Weight Management?
Yes, a sweet potato diet can help you maintain a healthy weight if you follow the cooking methods properly. Also, you need to be particular about the condiments if you want to enjoy the optimized health benefits of sweet potatoes.
Why Does A Sweet Potato Diet Help In Weight Management?
There are primarily two reasons why sweet potatoes are beneficial for losing weight. Let’s know the details.
Sweet Potatoes Boost Your Satiety Level
Sweet potatoes come with complex carbs and fiber. So, in comparison to food items with refined carbs like flour, bread, and rice, sweet potatoes promote better absorption of nutrients. As a result, you feel fuller for a long time and stay away from junk food.
Thus, by restricting the intake of refined sugar and sodium-rich junk food, sweet potatoes help you to lose weight.
Sweet Potatoes Reduce Your Calorie Intake
Did you know that sweet potatoes have 13% fiber and 77% water? So, when you eat sweet potatoes, you fill your stomach and promote better nutrient absorption without the intake of high calories.
Along with helping you lose weight, sweet potatoes are also beneficial for reducing your body’s fat percentage. These root vegetables especially work to reduce your mid-arm circumference.
In addition, sweet potatoes have vitamin B6. This vitamin is an essential component if you want to boost your body’s metabolism.
Final Words
Rich in fiber and easily available, potatoes and sweet potatoes help you manage a healthy weight. However, when you are on a potato diet or trying a sweet potato meal plan, you have to be very particular about the rules. Otherwise, these diet plans can be restrictive and have adverse effects on your health.
So, if you are planning to try any of these diet plans, you must seek advice from a nutritionist. Your fitness journey is not about hacks and following diet plans that are in trend. You need to remain consistent and ensure that your body receives enough nutrients.
