Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I know there is a previous thread regarding peoples' opinions about eating the skin of white potatoes (here: http://paleohacks.com/questions/1643/potatoes-eat-the-skin-or-no#axzz1B3etHusU), but I was hoping with this thread to get a poll of sorts:

How often do you eat the skin of white potatoes:

A. Every time I eat white potatoes I eat the skin

B. Maybe 50% of the time I eat white potatoes I eat the skin

C. Never, its poison!

I eat the skin of white potatoes about 75% of the time. As the linked thread above is meant to show, i am familiar with the arguments pro and con, with this thread here and now I'm just curious about how many of us eat or do not eat the skin. Thanks.

flag	asked Jan 15 2011 at 16:11 ben61820 16.1k●1●13●57

	Bushway, R.J., J.L. Bureau, and D.F. McGann. 1983. Alpha-chaconine and alpha-solanine content of potato peels and potato peel products. J. Food Sci. 48: 84-86. – Stephen-Aegis Jan 17 2011 at 11:30
	do you have a link for that study? thanks. – ben61820 Jan 17 2011 at 15:00
	So white potatoes are paleo if you don't eat the skin? – Chuck Feerless Jul 31 2011 at 18:01

Stephen-Aegis · Answer 1 · 2011-01-15 16:49:59Z UTC

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C. Glycoalkanoids,pass. I'll save the lecture to just reiterate, it not an irritant, it's a poison that's been proven can kill.

A poll option rather than 100 answers to be tallied would be nice...

answered Jan 15 2011 at 16:49

Stephen-Aegis
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Agreed! PATRIK! Can we make polls? – gilliebean♦ Jan 15 2011 at 17:05

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with you all the way, stephen. I just couldnt figure out how to make a poll so i went the question thread. yeah, its going to end up being pretty long. @mods, any poll option we can do? – ben61820 Jan 15 2011 at 20:03

Eva · Answer 2 · 2011-01-15 17:06:02Z UTC

I used to almost always eat them because my mother told me all the nutrients were in the skins! I had no clue about any poisons and often ate them from home when green and/or sprouting, with no apparent side effects. Now I eat them only if I'm hungry and there is no more food on the plate, which is mostly when camping.

Matt · Answer 3 · 2011-01-15 22:13:55Z UTC

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It depends.

I remove the skin for boiling or mashing mature potatoes.

Leave the skin on for small new potatoes.

I eat the skin on properly baked potatoes, I will also eat anyone elses skins if they don't want them :)

answered Jan 15 2011 at 22:13

Matt
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gilliebean · Answer 4 · 2011-01-15 16:21:05Z UTC

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B. Maybe 50% of the time I eat white potatoes I eat the skin.

(At home, never. When I'm eating out, I can't control it.)

answered Jan 15 2011 at 16:21

gilliebean♦
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@Gillie, just last night we actually decided to google best baked potato just out of curiosity. i mean, we've baked thousands in life, right? Anyway, we followed the instructions and i have to say im a convert (especially if you do indeed eat the skin): roll the washed potato in liquid fat and salt liberally with kosher salt, and then bake uncovered (not wrapped in alum foil in other words). We did 400 degrees for one hour 15 mins. Crispy, delicious skin. For the fat that we rolled it in prebake, we did 50/50 tallow and coconut oil. holy hell, this is some tasty stuff – ben61820 Jan 15 2011 at 16:46

mari · Answer 5 · 2011-01-15 19:14:36Z UTC

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C. I think of them along the lines of corn or legumes. Mostly to be avoided, but a little bit at a restaurant is fine.

answered Jan 15 2011 at 19:14

mari
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sherpamelissa · Answer 6 · 2011-01-15 19:26:48Z UTC

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C.

But mostly because I always thought they were gross.

answered Jan 15 2011 at 19:26

sherpamelissa
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Philosopher · Answer 7 · 2011-01-15 20:40:28Z UTC

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For white potatoes, I never ate the skin: as a kid I was taught that way by Mom and Granny! I do have the skin of sweet potatoes: again it comes from Grannys teachings!

answered Jan 15 2011 at 20:40

Philosopher
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gn · Answer 8 · 2011-01-16 22:28:55Z UTC

i eat the stuff rather rarely so i don't bother myself with peeling them: there may be some toxins, but show me anything that is not toxic in some sense: eating not more than once a day leaves body ample of time to detoxify itself (though i don't mean to imply that you can constantly keep on 'poising' yourself with impunity with clearly poisonous stuff like store-bought cookies)

Kaz · Answer 9 · 2011-01-16 23:22:08Z UTC

I don't crave potatoes that often, so when I do eat them, it's a rare treat and a few bites takes away the craving and hence, I doubt a fragment of potato skin would mortally wound me.

That said, I don't believe I would consume them anymore, knowing now that in the skins is where the toxins reside. I mean, the only reason I ate the skins before was because I was "supposed" to, due to believing that's where the nutrients were, also combined with the fact that I hate wasting food.

Now, sweet potato skins? I oil those up all pretty-like and slow roast 'em, so when I pull the sweet tater out of the oven, the skin is all caramelly and crackly-like and yum. Of course, I'm gonna eat /those/.

Poll: do you eat the skin of white potatoes

9 Answers