Structured Nutritional Data & Citations
SEO Data: Solanum Tuberosum (Common Potato)
This analysis focuses on the raw, unpeeled common potato (Solanum tuberosum) as a baseline, with notes on common preparation impacts.
1. Macrontutrient Profile (Raw, with skin) - per 100g / per standard serving (173g medium potato)
| Nutrient | Per 100g | Per 173g (Medium Potato) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 77 kcal | 133 kcal |
| Protein | 2.0 g | 3.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.0 g | 29.4 g |
| - Dietary Fiber | 2.0 g | 3.5 g |
| - Sugars | 0.8 g | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 0.1 g | 0.2 g |
| - Saturated Fat | 0.0 g | 0.0 g |
| Water Content | 79.25 g | 136.9 g |
Reference: USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID: 170020 (Potatoes, white, flesh and skin, raw)
2. Key Micronutrients (Raw, with skin) - per 100g
- Vitamins:
- Vitamin C: 19.7 mg (22% DV)
- Vitamin B6: 0.3 mg (18% DV)
- Folate: 34 µg (9% DV)
- Thiamin (B1): 0.08 mg (7% DV)
- Niacin (B3): 1.05 mg (7% DV)
- Minerals:
- Potassium: 429 mg (9% DV)
- Manganese: 0.15 mg (7% DV)
- Magnesium: 23 mg (5% DV)
- Phosphorus: 57 mg (5% DV)
- Copper: 0.11 mg (12% DV)
- Antioxidants:
- Phenolic Acids: Predominantly chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, caffeic acid. Concentrated in the skin and just beneath.
- Flavonoids: Quercetin, kukoamines.
- Carotenoids: Lutein, zeaxanthin (higher in yellow-fleshed varieties).
Reference: USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID: 170020 (Potatoes, white, flesh and skin, raw)
3. Functional Impact
- Glycemic Index (GI): Highly variable based on preparation.
- Boiled (peeled): 70-80 (High)
- Baked (peeled): 80-95 (Very High)
- French Fries: 60-75 (Medium-High)
- Potato Salad (cold): 50-60 (Medium - cooling increases resistant starch)
- Note: The presence of skin, other foods, and cooling can significantly alter GI.
- Reference: University of Sydney GI Database; Atkinson, F. S., Brand-Miller, J. C., & Wolever, T. M. S. (2008). International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008. Diabetes Care, 31(12), 2281-2283.
- Glycemic Load (GL) per 173g serving (approximate):
- Boiled: 20-25 (High)
- Baked: 23-30 (High)
- Satiety Score (Satiety Index of Common Foods): 323% (Relative to white bread at 100%).
- Potatoes consistently rank as one of the most satiating foods, significantly contributing to feelings of fullness.
- Reference: Holt, S. H. A., Brand Miller, J. C., Petocz, P., & Farmakalidis, E. (1995). A satiety index of common foods. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 49(9), 675-690.
4. Physical Properties
- Density (Raw): Approximately 1.08 g/cm³ (for mature tubers). Variability exists based on variety, moisture content, and specific gravity.
- Volumetric Contraction after Cooking:
- Boiling: Minimal contraction, potentially slight expansion due to water absorption and starch gelatinization, followed by some shrinkage upon cooling. Overall volume change typically <5%.
- Baking/Roasting: Significant water loss leads to more pronounced contraction and structural collapse. Volume reduction can be 10-20%.
- Frying: Water replacement by oil and significant dehydration causes substantial structural change and volume reduction, often >20%.
- Reference: General food science principles; studies on specific gravity and texture of Solanum tuberosum varieties.
Field Notes: Dr. Aria Vance
Subject: Potato
Focus: Volumetric expansion/contraction, historical context, tracking challenges.
Field Notes: The Manual Tracking Problem
Alright, another late night at the lab, poring over consumption data, or, more accurately, lack thereof. Today's target: the humble potato. My god, the potato!
From the frosty peaks of the Andes, where the Incas first domesticated it, a miracle of sustenance. It fueled empires. Saved populations. Caused famines too, tragically. This knobby tuber, Solanum tuberosum, traversed continents, changed agricultural landscapes, became the ultimate comfort food for billions. A true global citizen, yet for all its universal appeal, tracking it manually for accurate nutritional intake? It's a nightmare. Utter chaos.
Think about it. You grab a potato. What kind of potato? Russet, Yukon Gold, Red Bliss? Each varies subtly in starch, water. Then, size. You pick up a potato. Is it small? Medium? Large? Who knows? Some monstrous spud could easily be double the weight of its demure cousin. Scales? Great. If you remember to use one. And if you have one. In the middle of dinner prep, I'm not weighing out raw potato chunks, let's be real. Nobody is.
Then comes the real fun: preparation. Boiled? Skin on or off? Off, you lose potassium and fiber. Baked? Crispy skin, fluffy interior, fantastic, but now you've got variable water loss, concentrated starches. Mashed? Oh, the joy! But suddenly, we've added butter, whole milk, heavy cream, maybe cheese! That 77 kcal per 100g just went on a wild, caloric joyride. Don't even get me started on frying. Deep-fried chips? French fries? The oil absorption is astronomical. It's no longer a potato; it's a potato-oil sponge. How much oil? What kind? Eyeballing a serving of fries? That's a fool's errand. A delicious, inaccurate fool's errand.
This whole process – trying to log a potato meal – it's a house of cards built on assumptions. "Oh, that looks like a medium boiled potato." Based on what, my tired eyes? My subjective memory of a USDA photo? It’s a cognitive burden. It's frustrating. It’s why people quit tracking. They try, they fail, they give up. The data we do get is so rife with estimation error, it's almost useless for precise nutritional analysis.
This is exactly why NutriSnap exists. This forensic visual analysis system, it's not just a photo app. It sees the potato. Not just a potato, but that specific potato. Its shape, its size, the way it's cooked. The sheen of oil, the fluffy texture of mash, the crispy char of a roast. It learns. It estimates density changes, calculates fat absorption, accounts for the visual clues of added ingredients. Finally, a way to cut through the subjective haze. A way to accurately log the most adaptable, yet most deceptively complex, food on our plates. I think we're finally getting somewhere.
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