😕 The Most Misunderstood Veggie on Your Plate

When clients tell me about their weight loss efforts, one of the first things they say is "I don't eat carbs."

When I respond, "We need carbs for energy. Vegetables, fruits, and grains are loaded with nutrients," they clarify, "Oh, I mean, you know, like potatoes..."

Potatoes might be the most misunderstood veggie in America. We eat nearly 50 pounds per person every year, but somehow the potato has been branded as “unhealthy,” especially compared to flashier cousins like kale and broccoli.

Potatoes aren't the problem

It’s what we do to them.

A new study from Harvard confirmed what nutrition experts have been saying for years: the way you prepare potatoes makes all the difference.

They found that people who ate French fries 3 times a week had about a 20% higher risk of diabetes compared to those who ate them rarely. But baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes? No link.

There’s another reason to be careful with deep-fried potatoes (and other starchy foods) cooked at very high heat: acrylamide.

Acrylamide forms when those starchy foods are fried, roasted, or baked at high temperatures. The concern? Acrylamide is classified as a probable human carcinogen.

That golden-brown crunch we love might come with more than we bargained for.

Once again, it’s not the potato itself. It’s the fryer, the oil bath, and the deep golden-brown crisping that changes the equation.

With studies like this, I always wonder, "Is it correlation or causation? Might people who eat a lot of fries eat plenty of other ultra-processed foods?"

These findings reiterate what health experts have been telling us for a long time: Fried, ultra-processed foods ideally shouldn’t be a regular part of our diets, even when they start as a vegetable.

Potatoes are a nutrient-rich food when you let them be themselves:

• They’ve got fiber, especially if you eat the skin.

• They’re packed with potassium, vitamin C, and B6.

• They even have a bit of protein.

• They're a great source of energy. Endurance athletes have been known to use them as fuel.

Depending on the variety, they bring some bonus perks. Purple potatoes contain antioxidants that are associated with improved cognitive function and maybe even cancer prevention--the same ones found in blueberries.

Sweet potatoes have more fiber and get their orange color from carotenoids that support eye and brain health.

They’re also one of the most affordable vegetables around. At a time when grocery bills seem to climb every week, a bag of potatoes can feed a family without draining your wallet.

Healthy, filling, budget-friendly--what’s not to love?

Next time you reach for a potato, remember: skip the deep fryer, keep the skin on, and you’ll have a nourishing food that deserves more respect than it gets.

That potato is a great vehicle for serving your favorite protein and a green vegetable--think Saw's loaded baked potato with chicken and broccoli...well, divided into halves or thirds....portions still matter....