Why do Sweet Potatoes get a pass?
 

Not sure if this is the right forum for this as its just a general question...

I've seen several mentions to the effect that white potatoes are basically off limits forever while sweet potatoes can be eaten in moderation when one is on a maintenance phase of their program.

Both Sugar Busters and Atkins seem to mention this but I can find no reason to see why this is the case. Every carb counter I counsult shows the two to be similar. The one on this site indicates:

(Food item, 100 g portion.
Click on items for full details. Carbs per 100 g, Fiber per 100 g, Protein per 100 g, ECC per 100 g)

Sweetpotato, cooked, baked in skin, with salt 24.27 g 3.00 g 1.72 g 21.27 g

Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, with salt 25.23 g 2.40 g 2.30 g 22.83 g

Why do sweet potatoes get a free pass?

It has everything to do with the Glycemic Index or GI. This number or classification of how high and how fast particular carbohydrate foods raise blood sugars. The higher the number the greater the impact on your insulin levels.

Now with that being said :)

Sweet potatoes GI is 77, while french fries are at 107 and baked potatos roll in at 121.

We can eat sweet potatoes in moderation?!

SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

heh I think people tend to misunderstand a lot about Atkin's or any other low carbohydrate diet. Once you get into OWL or maintenance you can eat pretty much anything you want WITHIN moderation.

That after all is THE key. Can you eat the way you have in the past? No. Can you have massive carbs every single day? No. Can you on occassion have a bagel, or a sweet potato or ice cream? Yes....but only on occassion.

Atkin's himself said it in his book, "it isn't about NEVER being allowed your favorite foods, it is about controlling them". Low carbohydrate dieting isn't about NEVER being able to have your favorite foods, however once you have been on the diet for a while you find that your once favorite foods aren't anymore. Your tastebuds change and so does your taste for foods.

:) There was a time I would simply die for a hot fudge sunday. Now one bite will almost make me sick from the overly sweetness.

Agony,

Ain't that the truth! Cheating on sweets is never fun when you are used to going without. I have been on Atkins for almost 4 years and I can vividly remember my 2 sweet cheats - and it WAS NOT pretty!! Not to mention the fact that they didn't even taste good anymore. There are so many sugar free sweet alternatives that there is no excuse to cheat anymore.

OK, that makes sense. So we can consider not only the carb content, but also the GI of the carb content. I'll have to look for a good GI list.

One of the most comprehensive can be found at Mendosa GI List

Nat