Make Every Bite Count with Potatoes

December 30, 2020

Potatoes help support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans’ recommendation
for increased nutrient-dense vegetable consumption

“It’s official: the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans have yet again confirmed the importance of eating more vegetables such as potatoes that provide potassium and vitamin C.¹

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendations focus on increased nutrient-dense vegetable consumption. Americans can take simple steps toward eating healthier by choosing potatoes. As a nutrient-dense vegetable, potatoes support all three healthy eating patterns – Healthy U.S., Healthy Vegetarian, and Healthy Mediterranean – defined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Potatoes’ versatility also means they can easily fit into meals across a variety of personal and cultural preferences for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For the first time in the history of the committee’s guidance on nutrition and health, the Dietary Guidelines also covers specific recommendations for individuals under two years old, supporting potatoes as a healthy first food for babies and toddlers, as well.

Potatoes are a good source of potassium, providing 15% of the daily value per serving in addition to being an excellent source of vitamin C, providing 30% of the daily value per serving. Vitamin C may help support the body’s immune system,² which is likely to be especially top-of-mind for Americans as we head into 2021.

What’s more, research shows that you’re likely to feel full for longer^3-5 and support your body with the nutrients it needs when you choose good carbohydrates like potatoes. A serving of potatoes has 26 grams of high-quality carbohydrates that can help fuel an active lifestyle. Carbohydrates are the key fuel utilized by the brain and by muscles during exercise.⁶ Many Americans are moving to plant-based diets⁷ and obtaining enough high-quality protein is important in this process. Potatoes contain 3 grams of a complete protein that can easily be absorbed by the body.^8,9

Many Americans are struggling with food insecurity and are not meeting recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake.¹⁰ Research suggests that potatoes are an affordable, nutrient-dense vegetable that provides more nutrients per penny than most other vegetables.¹¹

Potatoes are a nutritious, affordable option that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways – including simple, delicious preparations with few ingredients, making them easy to incorporate into a healthy diet. For more information on potato nutrition and preparation please visit PotatoGoodness.com.”

Citations:

1.  U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
2. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/. Updated February 27, 2020. Accessed June 11, 2020.
3. Gelibter A, et al. Satiety following intake of potatoes and other carbohydrate test meals. Ann Nutr Metab. 2013;62:37-43.
4. Akilen R, et al. The effects of potatoes and other carbohydrate side dishes consumed with meat on food intake, glycemia and satiety response in children. Nutr Diabetes. 2016;6:e195.
5. Holt SHA, et al. A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nut. 1995;49:675-690.
6. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke, LM. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine: Nutrition and athletic performance. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016;116(3):501-528.
7. 2020 Food and Health Survey. International Food Information Council website. https://foodinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IFIC-Food-and-Health-Survey-2020.pdf. Last Updated June 9, 2020. Accessed November 18, 2020.
8. Woolfe JA. The Potato in the Human Diet. 1987. Cambridge University Press.
9. King JC, Slavin JL. White potatoes, human health, and dietary guidance. Adv Nutr. 2013;4(3):393S-401S.
10. Lee-Kwan SH, Moore LV, Blanck HM, Harris DM, Galuska D. Disparities in State-Specific Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption — United States, 2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:1241–1247.
11. Drewnowski A. New metrics of affordable nutrition: Which vegetables provide most nutrients for least cost? J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013;113(9):1182-7.