Overview
About Potato
Potatoes look like a plain, low-drama vegetable, but they are a nightshade and are rated high in oxalate, which is why they show up on so many elimination and AIP diets.
If potatoes leave you achy, foggy or flared, the usual suspects are their nightshade glycoalkaloids (solanine and chaconine), their oxalate load and their lectins, not the starch itself.
Sensitivities
How Potato scores
Watch for
What trips people up
- Nightshade vegetable, so it is one of the first foods cut on a nightshade-free or AIP protocol for joint pain and inflammation
- Rated high in oxalate, a concern if you form kidney stones or are tracking a low-oxalate diet
- Contains glycoalkaloids (solanine and chaconine) that concentrate in green skin and sprouts, so green or sprouting potatoes are worth discarding
- Rated high in lectins, another reason lectin-avoiders skip potatoes even when they are cooked
Diet fit
Where it fits
Swap ideas
More alternatives
FAQ
Common questions about Potato
Are potatoes a nightshade?
Yes. Potatoes are part of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) alongside tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. They carry glycoalkaloids like solanine, which is why people on nightshade-free or AIP diets for joint pain and inflammation usually remove them first.
Are potatoes high in oxalate?
Potatoes are rated high in oxalate, so they are a food to watch if you form calcium-oxalate kidney stones or follow a low-oxalate diet. Peeling reduces some of it, but they still rank higher than roots like carrot or turnip prepared without the skin.
Why should you not eat green potatoes?
Green skin and sprouts signal a buildup of glycoalkaloids (solanine and chaconine), the natural nightshade compounds that can cause nausea and stomach upset in larger amounts. Store potatoes cool and dark, and cut away any green or sprouting parts.
References
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Ratings reflect the Triggerbites ingredient database and may vary with portion size and preparation.