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whoa. white potatoes are APPROVED?


HolliAdrienne

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I am on Day 6 of my first whole 30...and I see a link on here that white potatoes have been added to the official allowed foods list.  :blink:

 

Did i hallucinate this? Is this true? And if so......why am I so scared to eat them? Can someone just say, "yes Holli you can safely eat a white potato tonight and it will be whole 30 compliant" so that I will feel better??

 

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I just saw the announcement! I'm not on one right now (finished my first one may 9 and starting the second one october 14) but I consider them a whole food and have since added them back with no ill effects so I'm glad I'll have that option! It also means the whole family can go whole 30 next time! 

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Don't fear the potato! :D

 

I literally spent YEARS of my life avoiding white potatoes because of all the potato/sugar fear-mongering in the "health/diet" world.  Within the past few months after discovering whole30 and paleo eating, I have rekindled my appreciation for white potatoes and thoroughly enjoy the look on my mother in law's face when she sees me eating them. (she's a follower of Sugar Busters, and therefore shuns all white potatoes while but has her fill of "whole grains" and Agave/splenda... :blink: )

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Really? Needing a moderator to confirm this please  :)

 

It's for real. Enjoy.

 

A short piece of background on the white potato and#Whole30: When we first created the program, white potatoes weren't allowed because they weren't "Paleo," and we were very concerned with maintaining a Paleo framework. That was relatively short-lived, however.

Soon, we moved away from "Is it Paleo?" and towards, "Is it healthy?" Given the way most of us (over)eat white potatoes, or indulge in the form of fries, chips, and the like, we decided to leave them out of the program as a way to force people to expand their vegetable horizons, and to keep them out of trouble by not allowing them to over-consume what might be a less healthy choice for their metabolic context.

About a year ago, however, we started the discussion, "Just because people might overeat this food isn't a good enough reason by itself to leave it out." After all, bacon, nut butters, dried fruit, and fruit juice are all technically compliant on the program, and people are just as like to over-use these foods in a way that's not psychologically healthy, or physically healthy for their context. 

Contrary to general belief, potatoes are a nutrient-dense food. If you're especially active or an athlete, they are a good carbohydrate source (especially post-workout), without any of the potential downsides of grains. To keep the program rules logical and consistent, we could no longer see a reason to keep this one variety of potato out, while allowing things like taro, yuca, or yams.

However, we still had to address the issue of fries and chips--because if white potatoes are back in, what about french fries fried in canola oil from your favorite fast-food joint? Obviously, fries and chips miss the point of the Whole30 entirely, so we created language to remind people that these foods-with-no-brakes are not acceptable as a "vegetable" on the program (or anywhere else in real life, for that matter).

Just because white potatoes are now allowed doesn't meant they're a good choice for everyone. You must take into account your individual physical and psychological context. If you're sedentary, overweight, and metabolically challenged, you probably don't need to eat potatoes at all during your Whole30. If you're healthy, lean, and an athete, you're probably psyched to have yet another healthy carb source to add to the rotation. 

Hope that helps to address the questions surrounding the rule change. Thanks for your continued support--now let's get ready for the August Whole30!

Dallas & Melissa Hartwig, creators, Whole30 program

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unfortunately I still can't have them because they are a Nightshade, and I'm doing AIP (working on reintroductions, but not to nightshades yet) so that means no nightshades, no eggs, no nuts or seeds. Thankfully I've reintroduced eggs, and 100% grass-fed dairy, and a few berry spices without issues, as well as coffee.

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