After thoroughly studying the eating behavior of more than 16,000 US adolescents aged between 9-18 years old, one study’s results reveal that potato consumption was associated with higher diet quality, nutrient intake, and adequacy of several nutrients, including shortfall nutrients.
“Encouraging their consumption may be an effective strategy for improving nutritional status,” the two authors of “Intake of Potatoes Is Associated with Higher Diet Quality, and Improved Nutrient Intake and Adequacy among US Adolescents: NHANES 2001–2018 Analysis” concluded.
According to the above-mentioned article, twenty-four-hour diet recall data from adolescents (n = 16,633; age 9–18 years) were used to assess intakes. Usual intakes of nutrients were determined using the National Cancer Institute method and diet quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) after adjusting for demographic factors.
“Consumers of potatoes (baked or boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and potato mixtures, fried potatoes, and potato chips) had higher (p < 0.05) HEI-2015 total score and subcomponent scores for total vegetables, total protein foods, and refined grain than non-consumers,” the scientists added.
Consumers also had higher (p < 0.05) intake of energy, dietary fiber, protein, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium, zinc, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K and total choline; and higher (p < 0.05) adequacy for protein, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin K than non-consumers.
“Less Than the Recommended Levels”
Potatoes are part of the starchy vegetable subgroup and are present in many different forms representing various cooking/processing methods in the diet.
Potato chips, boiled potatoes, fries (French fries and home fries), and baked potatoes represent 28.7%, 23.5%, 22.3%, 10.8%, respectively, of starchy vegetable intake among children aged 4–18 years.
According to the study’s results, the current intake of vegetables, including starchy vegetables, are less than the recommended levels.
Encouraging potato consumption, preferably without a lot of extra fat/sodium, may be an effective strategy for improving intakes and adequacy of vegetables and certain nutrients and achieving a healthier dietary pattern.
