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Fats - Why?

K

Kingsland

Well-Known Member
Messages
60
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Plain fish, tripe, porridge, pasta, boiled rice,
I love chips.
I love roast potatoes.
Now, tell me - if fats contain zero carbs, why does a potato, which contains 17g carbohydrate per 100g when boiled, suddenly contain 24g carb when fried?
 
Because the heat from the hot fat causes the potato to release water (all that hissing, bubbling and steaming when the food hits the fryer).

So the finished chip is smaller, and you get more starch/100g than before the water was removed.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hmmmm - so its all down to the maths? I presume therefore that 100grams of raw potato, weighed before cooking, will still contain the same number of carbs when cooked, whatever the method? Boiled, baked or fried?
(pathetic desire for a few chips!).
 
It will still contain the same number of carbs. It will weight less than 100g after cooking though.
 
Argh!

Chip butties!

How I wish!

Unfortunately, the bread and potatoes, turn to glucose very quickly!

So a really quick spike is on the cards!:***:

Can't do that!

Argh!
 
When the potato is cooked it is chemically altered, just like bread when toasted, is sweeter.
 
Celeriac said:
When the potato is cooked it is chemically altered, just like bread when toasted, is sweeter.
Click to expand...

But, toasting bread doesn't actually increase the amount of carbs, it merely changes the type of starch, or carb, so although the taste changes, the carbs don't actually increase from the original amount in the slice of bread.
In fact, toast actually has a lower GI than un-toasted bread, particularly if you add butter.
 
Maillard Reaction i.e. reaction between sugars and amino acids when heated.
 
Celeriac said:
Maillard Reaction i.e. reaction between sugars and amino acids when heated.
Click to expand...

But does the reaction alter existing carbs, or actually create more?
 
No significant difference measurable for carb counting purposes. GI will be very slightly lower but again, not enough to really affect management of diabetes.
 
So what are we saying here? Take a very small potato, (250g for eg,) boil it and it contains 43 grams carb or thereabouts, chip it and it still contains 43 grams carb? You'd get a very small helping of chips ...... maybe a sweet potato would be a better option.
So on a 50 carbs a day diet, if you really really wanted a very small helping of chips, you could in theory eat nil carbs till suppertime and then have fried eggs and some chips? Might spike you blood sugar though.
Pity about the bread for butties!
Limiting yourself might be the difficulty.
 
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