CHO content of chips versus Boiled Potatoes

[afcbrichard]

I have only just been diagnosed with type 1 so am new to this. I am confused why chips have a greater CHO value than boiled potatoes as there is no CHo content in cooking oil. What am i missing?

 

[rachelha]

Weight for weight they will be roughly the same, I think. It is probably that you eat far more chips than boiled potatoes, I know I do.

 

[Northerner]

Actually, I've never really thought about it - I suspect it is something to do with the cooking process and amount of starch that may be removed in cooking. What reference are you using for the CHO values? What is more important for diabetics is the glycaemic index (GI) or glycaemic load (GL) of the food. This is a scale which shows how slowly or quickly the food will get converted to glucose in the blood and therefore raise levels. Chips, since they have fat in them, digest more slowly, whereas something like mashed potatoes digest very quickly.

 

[afcbrichard]

Thanks Rachel, the guidebook i got from the hospital says boiled pots are 17g/100 whilst chips are 30g/100 - confusing!

 

[aymes]

Based on uncooked weight they will have pretty much the same carb content. The process of cooking changes the weight so the carb content as a proportion of the cooked weight will vary according to the cooking method. Where possible I try to base things on the uncooked weight as I find it more straightforward, but as I mostly only cook for one this is easier to do than it is dor others.

 

[afcbrichard]

Thanks Northerner I have readabout the GI Index but am still getting to grips with any sort of Insulin control after diagnosis 4 weeks ago...the GI index will have to be a little later!!

 

[margie]

It's what Aymes says, when you bake or fry potatoes the water content decreases so the percentage of carbs per 100g increases.

Pasta does the opposite in that when you cook it it absorbs water so the carbs per 100g of cooked pasta is lower than the carbs per 100g of dried pasta.

You therefore need to be careful when working out your insulin as to whether the grams of cho per 100g refers to cooked or uncooked weight.

 

[bev]

Thanks Northerner I have readabout the GI Index but am still getting to grips with any sort of Insulin control after diagnosis 4 weeks ago...the GI index will have to be a little later!!

It is very early days for you - but soon you will come to realise that the GI Index is one of the most important things about trying to match food to insulin. It is all about timing the your bolus/ratio with the peak of food absorption - but dont worry about it for now - this will all become clear over time.🙂Bev

 

[afcbrichard]

Thankyou everyone you have been a great help