Potatoes rarely get the credit they deserve for the superfood they are. New research just might change that.
Potatoes have been a favourite food of marathon runners for decades. Clocking in at between 110 calories (average-sized white potato) to 165 calories (average sized russets), potatoes are a relatively low-calorie superfood that packs a nutritional punch. And yet, potatoes don’t get the nutritional credit they deserve, especially when it comes to kids’ diets. That’s mostly due to misconceptions about their glycemic index rating and their association with fast food. Challenging this stigma, new research shows that potatoes are an excellent choice for kids, providing essential nutrients for growth and development, helping children feel full for longer, and promoting the consumption of other vegetables.
Keeping Kids Feeling Full
One of the significant challenges in feeding children is ensuring they stay full and satisfied between meals. Potatoes are an excellent solution to this problem due to their high carbohydrate content, which provides a steady source of energy. Unlike simple sugars found in pasta and rice, the complex carbohydrates in potatoes offer sustained energy, helping to keep children feel full for longer periods.
Research led by Harvey Anderson, a nutritional science professor at the University of Toronto, cements this notion. In a study of children aged 11 to 13, he found that potatoes are much more satiating than rice and pasta, especially when paired with meat.
“Potatoes provide such balanced nutrition,” Anderson explains. “Now add in the high satiety index which prevents overeating, it makes them one of the best vegetables kids can eat.”
In the study, the children were given controlled portions of meatballs alongside unlimited servings of either mashed potatoes, fries, rice, or pasta. The results showed that they consumed fewer calories overall when eating mashed potatoes and fries in combination with meat.
These findings challenge what is commonly understood about the glycemic index (GI), which measures how quickly carbohydrate-containing foods raise blood glucose levels. High-GI foods are said to cause rapid blood sugar spikes, while low-GI foods produce slower increases.
This concept has led to widespread fear and misunderstanding, especially when it comes to spuds.
“Potatoes have been damaged with the idea that they’re high glycemic. However, this idea negates the benefits that they provide,” Anderson says. “When eaten together, carbohydrates, protein and fat all stimulate satiety, signaling you to eat less.”
Nutrient-Dense and Allergy-Friendly
Not only should potatoes be the “go-to” for keeping kids full, but they also deliver excellent nutritional benefits.
“Calorie for calorie and nutrient for nutrient, you’re getting a better bang for your buck with potatoes than you are with any other side dish,” Anderson says.
Spuds offer high levels of both vitamin C and vitamin B6. Vitamin C is crucial for a healthy immune system and aids in the absorption of iron, while vitamin B6 is important for brain development and function.
Potatoes also deliver a significant amount of potassium, which is essential for heart and muscle function, bone health, and electrolyte balance. On average, a medium-sized potato with the skin on accounts for roughly 27 per cent of the daily potassium needs for children aged four to eight and about 25 per cent for children aged nine to 13.
And then there’s fibre. Spuds are loaded with this vital dietary component that promotes a healthy digestive system.
Another noteworthy benefit of potatoes is their low allergenicity. Food allergies can be a significant concern, especially in infants and young children. An estimated five to six per cent of Canadian children suffer a food allergy.
One of the most common food allergens is gluten, which eliminates many side-dish options. In comparison, potatoes are generally well-tolerated and have a low incidence of allergic reactions.
This, along with their relatively high protein content, makes spuds a safe and attractive choice for kids’ diets. It also makes them a potentially desirable resource for baby formula. Anderson believes we will see a rise in potato-based formula in the future.
“I think it’s something we ought to explore more because it has more utility than any other plant protein for infant formula,” he says.
Bridging the Gap to Other Vegetables
Convincing children to ‘eat your veggies’, especially a wide variety of vegetables, is a challenge many parents are familiar with. It turns out that spuds offer a unique solution.
A 2023 study led by Brigham Young University Masters student Mayra Hernandez (now a clinical dietitian at the University of Utah) has revealed that pairing potatoes with other vegetables increases the total amount of vegetables children chose to eat.
The study created a school-like environment for 65 participants aged seven to 13 years. Children were given carrots and peas with diced potatoes or smiley fries. They served these potatoes either combined with the vegetables or in separate bowls. Another group of children received a bread roll with carrots and peas — again, either in the same bowl or in separated portions.
The results showed that kids ate more peas and carrots when they were mixed in a bowl with potatoes, especially when paired with smiley fries.
“Participants ate 8.77 grams more vegetables when in the same bowl as the smiley face fries than when they were in separate bowls,” says Hernandez, a clinical dietitian for the University of Utah’s cardiac rehab program.
Hernandez also reported verbal feedback from the children, who found that the meals with smiley fries were more fun to eat. She hopes both the quantitative results and anecdotal feedback from her research promotes a more positive outlook on potatoes as part of a healthy diet for kids.
“Making eating enjoyable for kids is an important part of shaping healthy relationships with food and their bodies,” explains Hernandez.
Aside from increasing the intake of other vegetables, Hernandez says it shouldn’t be forgotten that spuds are a vegetable too.
“The potato itself has a lot of vitamins and minerals and is one of the most satiating vegetables out there,” she says. “So even if they didn’t increase the other vegetables consumed, they are still consuming a vegetable with just the potato. It’s a vegetable, regardless.”
An Affordable & Accessible Superfood
With their relatively low price-tag and wide availability, potatoes are an accessible and versatile food option for parents from all economic backgrounds.
They can be easily incorporated into various dishes, from mashed potatoes and baked fries to soups and stews. Potatoes also offer convenience, as they can be prepared quickly and stored for long periods without spoiling. Additionally, the availability of different forms, such as instant mashed potatoes and lower-fat fries, provides parents with flexible options to suit their family’s preferences and dietary needs.
Anderson, who grew up on a low-income farm in Alberta, says even quick-food options like instant potatoes or fries out of a bag still offer the nutritional benefits that all forms of potato offer.
“If I had to guess, most people promoting ‘proper nutrition’ are middle to high income, likely never been on a farm, and don’t know much about agriculture. But they’re telling everyone what to eat,” he says.
“Parents should be happy to feed their kids any type of potatoes. They provide a balanced nutrient stimulus and have a high satiety value, much more than rice or pasta.”
Hernandez shares a similar point of view, encouraging parents not to fall prey to fearmongering.
“Kids already have a hard time with food, nutrition and perceptions of their body,” she says. “We don’t need to demonize yet another vegetable that does so much good.”
