New modelling shows that by replacing starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, with grain-based alternatives for one day it causes a 21 per cent decrease in potassium, a 17 per cent decrease in vitamin B6, an 11 per cent drop in vitamin C and a 10 per cent reduction in fibre, an Oct. 25 news release said.
“It’s tempting to think of all carbohydrate foods as interchangeable,” Keith Ayoob, study lead and associate professor emeritus at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, said in the release. “But these foods are categorized within different food groups for a reason – perhaps most importantly, they tend to have vastly different vitamin and mineral contents.”
While neither grains or starchy vegetables are considered a major protein source, the protein quality in potatoes is notably higher than the protein quality of grains, comparable to the protein in egg and milk, the release noted.
“As is so often the case in the world of nutrition, guidance comes down to balance, variety and moderation,” Ayoob said. “It’s important to get the right mix of vegetables and grains and include both starchy and non-starchy vegetables to help ensure we’re meeting both our macronutrient and micronutrient needs.”
The study was done by Ayoob analyzing two, one-day menu models to assess the nutrient contributions from both starchy vegetables and grain-based foods to the daily diet.
An approximate 2,000-calorie “foundation” menu was used to reflect the dietary recommendations within the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and in alignment with the USDA’s “Food Pattern Models,” the release said. The menu included both grain-based foods and white potatoes. The comparison was an approximate 2,000-calorie menu with 100 per cent of starchy vegetables replaced by grain-based foods.
The release noted limitations for these menu modelling results include the fact that potatoes were the only starchy vegetable incorporated into the foundational menu, and modelling was limited to a single day.
The findings were published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
Related Articles
Amylose-free Starch Potato Successfully Created with CRISPR
