I've heard mixed information on baked potatoes........some diets allow them, some say "too many carbs"..........does anyone know the calorie content or nutritional value?

I love baked potatoes but am not sure how many ounces I should eat. I am counting calories right now..........one friend told me 1/2 with some catsup would be ok.............

Baked Potatoes have gotton a bad rep, they are stock full of vitamins, keep the skin on. Lots of fibre and complex carbs. One large baked potato is about 270 in calories. So, you decide how much you want to eat, calories are calories. It's not the potato, it's what you put on it. Ketchup is pure sugar(refined carbs) and worse for you then the potato. Try olive oil, or a little low fat shredded cheese, Mrs Dash, mix it with veggies. Get creative.

Baked potatoes are delicious. I often skip the skin, because it is higher in calories (but also nutrients, so it's a trade off.) Without skin, a baked potato is 145 calories. I top them with Brummel & Brown margarine, fat free sour cream and lots of salt and pepper; extra-sharp cheddar cheese if I can afford the calories. It's also nice to mix in some chives and parsley with the sour cream. Yum!

If you like baked potatoes with ketchup, try salsa on them. It's excellent and doesn't have the sugar.

Source or cite, please?

Animal skin is fatty but vegetable "skins" aren't generally thought of as unhealthy.

Fitday lists a medium white potato baked peel eaten as having 113 calories.

It list a medium white potato baked peel not eaten as having 91 calories.

If you check the bag of potatoes it says a 5.5 oz potato has 100 calories. I have a scale since I count calories, so I can check the weight on everything! The first time I made myself fried potatoes{with canned olive oil spray} the 5 oz seemed like a lot.

I see nothing wrong with a small, baked potato with the skin... Anything in moderation...The skin is where the fibre and vitamines are therefore I think you should eat it... Have you tried a sweet potato or yam, they're very good for a change...

I'm not a big fan of sweet potatoes but maybe I just haven't had them the right way? Other than dousing them in marshmallows and syrup at Thanksgiving time, I'm not sure what to do with a sweet potato. LOL

ick on marshmallow..who invented that naaaasty dish?

I bake sweet potatoes, roast em, mash em...in short make them pretty much like I would with normal potatoes and eat with just salt and pepper and a little butter or evoo.

My favorite way of eating sweet potatoes is grilled. I par-boil them, toss them with a little oil, honey, salt, pepper and cayenne and then throw them on the grill until they're crispy. Yum!

I cut them like fries and just roast until done, maybe 20 minutes or half an hour at 450. No oil. Toss with salt.

My favourite way to do sweet potatoes... cut 'em in wedges, spray with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with a mix of 1/2tsp each cumun, paprika, and oregano, plus 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Cook on a baking sheet for about 25 minutes at 425 degrees, turning at the halfway point.

Should credit the source: This is from "Looneyspoons" (Podleski & Podleski). Don't know if they're big in the states, or if this series is just a Canadian phemonenon, but they're great low-fat cookbooks. Others in the series are Crazy Plates and Eat, Shrink & Be Merry.

I lie sweet potatoes with just s&p and a bit of butter mashed ...

In terms of GI issues, sweet potatoes are considered better (I believe...my source is Public Health guy Walter Willett from Harvard School of Public Health and his many books on nutrition).

Either way, I bake the potatoes and love the crackly skins. For a filling dinner w/a white potato, I top it w/refried beans and salsa, optional shredded cheese. It's something the whole family likes and it's easy to make.