Red Potatoes Nutrition
Red potatoes contain trace amounts of minerals and are a rich source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. Red potatoes also contain small amounts of protein as well. The addition of spices and flavorings to a red potato will drastically alter its original calorie, sodium and fat content. Does this Spark an idea?
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Calorie Content
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The calorie content for a plain, medium-size red potato (weighing about 140 g or measuring in size around 2 to 3 inches in diameter) is between 120 and 160 calories. The calorie count for a meal that includes red potatoes is often dramatically increased with the addition of ingredients such as butter, sour cream and cooking oils.
Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition
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Red potatoes have high levels of vitamin C and smaller amounts of calcium and iron. One medium red potato fulfills 7 percent to 9 percent of the daily dietary requirements for iron, about 2 percent of the daily dietary requirements for calcium and as much as 45 percent to 70 percent of the daily dietary requirement for vitamin C.
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Fat Content
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Red potatoes contain extremely small levels of fat. A medium red potato has 0.06 g of saturated fat, 0.092 g of polyunsaturated fat and 0.006 g of monounsaturated fat. These fat amounts are so small that red potatoes do not contribute any percentage of daily dietary requirements for fats.
Potassium and Sodium
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A medium-size red potato contains minimal amounts of sodium (13 mg) and fulfills only 1 percent of the daily dietary requirement for sodium. A medium-size red potato also contains minimal amounts of potassium (969 mg). Sodium intake from eating a baked red potato is dramatically increased with the addition of salt to the meal.
Carbohydrates and Protein
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Red potatoes contain small amounts of carbohydrates and proteins. A medium-size red potato has about 4 g of protein and between 26 g to 35 g of carbohydrates. Dietary carbohydrates in a red potato include fiber (about 3.5 grams) and natural sugars (about 2 grams). The average-size red potato fulfills about 11 percent of the daily dietary carbohydrate requirement and 14 percent of the daily dietary fiber requirement.
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