One Potato, Two Potatoes, Eat Potatoes or None?

If you do an online search for potatoes, you’ll see a lot of discussion about whether they’re healthy or not.

Many nutritionists and health professionals recommend limiting potato consumption. And some food guides don’t even include potatoes in the vegetable group.

So why do people argue against eating potatoes?

Here are the three main reasons:

Potatoes are high in carbohydrates, which some people believe causes weight gain.
Potatoes digest rapidly and have a high glycemic load, which means that they can cause your blood sugar and insulin levels to spike and then dip.
Highly processed foods like French fries or potato chips are the most frequently eaten forms of potatoes — and we all know how unhealthy those are.

But do potatoes deserve to be viewed as dangerous? And do they also provide some benefits?

First, let’s look into the weight concerns…

Do Potatoes Pack on the Pounds?

A 2011 study conducted by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health tracked the diet and lifestyle habits of 120,000 men and women for up to 20 years, looking at how small food choices contribute to weight gain over time. The researchers concluded that there’s a strong association between potatoes and weight gain. Potato consumption was also linked to increased risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well. But it’s not all bad news for spud lovers. According to St. Louis-based registered dietitian Alex Caspero, RD, “…potatoes are not the enemy! How we eat them is.”

While many of us eat veggies, like spinach and broccoli, in their natural state, we eat most of our potatoes processed or fried as chips and french fries. Even our baked or boiled potatoes are often peeled (losing the vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in the skin), mashed with sticks of butter or cream, and loaded with fatty toppings like chili and sour cream.

But, in a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2014, researchers found that when people followed healthy recipes, they lost weight even while eating five to seven servings of potatoes per week.

Why Some People Might Want to Watch Their Potato Consumption

Potatoes can be a healthy choice for most people, but three groups might want to minimize their consumption (particularly of white potatoes): pre-diabetics, diabetics, and people who are overweight.

Diabetes is a condition in which the body can’t properly produce or respond to insulin. Carbohydrates aren’t metabolized as they should be, which leads to a higher concentration of blood glucose.

For those who are not healthy or at an optimal weight, he advises eating fewer potatoes and more beans, greens, cauliflower, mushrooms, and onions.

What Nutrients Do You Get When You Eat a Potato?

While different types of potatoes have different nutritional profiles, they all share certain health benefits, including:

Potatoes are high in antioxidants. Some potatoes have more antioxidants than others, but all potatoes contain carotenoids, a class of plant pigments that protect against chronic disease and inflammation.
Potatoes may help with digestion. Potatoes contain resistant starch, a particular kind of starch that isn’t broken down by the small intestine. Instead, it reaches the large intestine and feeds your body’s beneficial bacteria. When resistant starch reaches the large intestine, your body’s beneficial bacteria turn it into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. A 2011 study published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology found that butyrate can help protect against colon cancer and reduce inflammation in the colon.
Potatoes may aid bone health. The minerals iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and zinc in potatoes help the body build and maintain bone structure and strength. Keep in mind, however, that most of the minerals are in the potato skin and are lost if you peel them.

Potatoes are a diverse bunch. More than 200 different varieties of these starchy veggies are available in U.S. grocery stores, with more than 4,000 existing in the wild.

Potatoes are on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list of the most pesticide-contaminated foods. So if you want to reduce your exposure to pesticides and GMOs, look for potatoes labeled 100% organic or non-GMO.

A large body of evidence tells us that for most people, potatoes can make a valuable contribution to a healthy diet. But a potato’s preparation is what makes it a healthy or unhealthy choice.

A 2017 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating fried potatoes two or more times per week doubled the risk of death.

Processed foods, like potato chips, are full of unhealthy fat and huge amounts of sodium. And when people eat baked potatoes and mashed potatoes, they often use lots of butter, salt, and other unhealthy ingredients.

How to Enjoy Potatoes the Healthy Way

Whichever type of potato you eat, the best way to maximize the health potential of potatoes is to eat them organic and whole with the skin on.

If you’re looking for something lighter and more nutritious to put on your potatoes, here are some healthier toppers to try on your potato:

Use salsa instead of sour cream. Use this healthy, tomato-based mix to top your potato instead of sour cream. It adds a spicy kick, and there are only 17 calories in a ¼ cup.
Add nutritional yeast to boost the protein and nutrients. Instead of cheese, opt for this cheesy-tasting, savory, nutrient-dense topping.
Make it a meal with vegetarian chili. While chili-topped baked potatoes are a classic favorite, traditional beef chili has all the problems that typically come with modern meat. Fill up on beans, onions, bell peppers, celery, and carrots instead!

^{Source: Food Revolution, edited}