Yes, the Center
for Science in the Public Interest makes a good point that French fries
shouldn’t be served everyday for school lunch and that other vegetables deserve
a chance. So true! Yes, it’s also
undoubtedly a fact that many of us eat too many fries and potato chips.
But really, the potato itself isn’t to blame. White potatoes are getting a bad rap. The real white potato as nature made it
offers a number of key
nutrients. The problem begins when
a potato is loaded with salt and fat (especially saturated fat). Food manufacturing turns a respectable real
food into an industrialized product designed to hyper-stimulate our taste buds, as David Kessler discussed in his book, The End of Overeating.
In June a study published
by the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that eating potatoes is
responsible for weight gain. Chemist Joe Vinson, made an interesting
observation on the NPR blog, Can Potatoes Give Your Heart a Boost: A Chemist Thinks So. Vinson
claimed that this study unfairly combined fried versions and other
potatoes.
There are plenty of other places to look for the excess
calories Americans consume. For Americans
(Ages 2+), the 10 top
sources of calories don’t include potatoes at all. Instead these foods top the list:
- Desserts
(grain based)
- Yeast
breads
- Chicken
and chicken mixed dishes
- Soda/energy/sports
drinks
- Pizza
- Alcoholic
beverages
- Pasta
and pasta dishes
- Tortillas,
burritos, tacos
- Beef
and beef mixed dishes
- Dairy desserts
Yes, I may be biased because I was raised in Idaho, the Famous Potatoes state. Or maybe it’s that I like the taste of unadorned potatoes. At home, we just microwave new potatoes and eat them plain or splashed with a bit of vinegar.
Still, as a nutritionist, I believe we’re looking in the wrong place by bashing specific foods in their natural state instead of industrialized versions of foods in general. We eat too many food products that are high in sugar, salt, and fat and compound the problem with hours of passive screen time each day.
What’s your take on the role potatoes play in weight gain?
Yours in joy and health!
Kay
I read reports of the potato study, and am glad to hear that there is some push-back. As a fellow Idahoan, I too am fond of my potatoes. Boiled and served with a little butter or olive oil and parsley - good and good for you!
ReplyDeleteI fry potatoes occasionally and we like them mashed, scalloped, au gratin, etc. In the winter we eat more. In the summer - potato salad, of course! A great snack or lunch to keep in the fridge.
We rarely eat french fries from a fast-food place. I do like commercial potato chips. But as part of a generally well-balanced diet with regular exercise (6-7 days per week), I don't see any weight gain. In fact, during the winter, we sometimes just have baked potatoes for dinner topped with a nice piece of cheese or butter or olive oil. I think I've lost weight on that diet.
Thanks for your comment! Congratulations on successfully cultivating a wellness lifestyle that is probably giving you big rewards like less stress and more energy and will likely yield better health in the long-run.
ReplyDeleteYour story suggests that there's room for potatoes served in many different ways in a balanced diet without weight gain.