SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/diab-potato-starch

A baked potato has very little sugar. Does it still raise blood glucose?

Yes, its starch is a carbohydrate too.

  1. No, only sugar raises it
  2. Yes, its starch is a carb too ✔
  3. Only if you add butter

Why: ADA says all carbs affect blood glucose, and sugar is only one of them. A baked potato is high in starch, so total carbs tell you more than sugar grams.

Huh, didn't know that: ADA suggests asking 'How many total carbs are in this serving?' instead of 'How much sugar is in this food?'

The dad joke
Why do potatoes make good detectives? They keep their eyes peeled.
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Sources

  1. Sugar vs. Carbs (ADA Diabetes Food Hub) https://diabetesfoodhub.org/blog/sugar-vs-carbs-what-affecting-blood-glucose

Test yourself in the game

Health BasicsOn a Nutrition Facts label, what does 'Total Carbohydrate' include?Health BasicsA package brags about 'net carbs.' What does ADA recommend using instead?Health BasicsDoes 'no sugar added' on a package mean the food is low in carbohydrate?

That's stuff everyone should know.