Many people have the misconception that we need to eliminate all high carbohydrate foods, including pasta, rice and potatoes. If you haven't noticed by now, potatoes are always under fire by most people, which I believe is because they are a component of most fast-food meals, thus tarnishing the 'image' of the healthy potato.

However, if you think about it - carbohydrates are the body's preferred energy source, and eating a potato (or any other type of carb rich food) will not automatically make you fatter. Substituting a serving of rice with a baked potato is an excellent way of adding variety to your diet. Consuming too many potatoes, however, is of course unecessarily piling up the calories (and this is a problem with any food, not just potatoes!).

Just like everything else, you should enjoy your potates in moderation. Watch the intake of your other cards in the same meal if you're having a little extra potatoes for the meal. Overdo it, and you're back to square one again.

If you're watching your weight, you might just want to enjoy potatoes in moderate quantities and not make the common mistake of 'abusing' your poor potato before you eat it (adding butter, sour cream, or frying it!).

Enjoy your potatoes! I know I do. ;)