Experts defend bashed potato

Experts defend bashed potato

They say tuber's bad reputation is overstated, linked to frying

Is it the potatoes or the sauce and grease on the potatoes that makes them unhealthy? (Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune)

By Kristen Kridel and Kelly April, Chicago Tribune

July 13, 2011

Potatoes have taken a mashing lately, being blamed over other foods for people's long-term weight gain and possibly being limited in favor of other vegetables for school lunches.

The very crop seen as essential to feed the hungry in developing countries is maligned in U.S. nutrition circles because it's often a fast-food side dish or boat for butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits.

But school cooks know them as a sure bet and farmers depend on them for a living, and neither group takes kindly to what some are calling a "faddish" attack on the dependable and nutritious potato.

The two-pronged assault boils down to:

•A study in the New England Journal of Medicine that points to french fries and potato chips as the two foods causing the most long-term weight gain. Boiled, baked or mashed potatoes contributed to more pounds than sweets and desserts, according to the study.

•A new proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to limit the amount of starchy vegetables, including most potato dishes, served in school lunches.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,