Alarming news for all American French fries lovers who have deluded themselves to date: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering stripping potatoes of the title "vegetable," and consequently causing people, well, to eat more "real" vegetables in order to meet their daily health quota.
The source of the carbohydrate controversy lies in a study conducted by the ministry, according to which most of the vegetables Americans eat are potatoes and tomatoes. The same study also reported that the average American eats about 22.5 and a half kilograms of potatoes every year, compared to 14 kilograms of tomatoes (in third place comes onions with less than five kilograms). In short, if you internalize the fact that most of Americans' vegetable consumption ostensibly comes from snacking on fried foods, ketchup and pizza, there is a problem here.
Buttery mashed potatoes,
Therefore, according to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. government may rethink its 2025 dietary recommendations by simply thinking that fewer chips, buttery mashed potatoes and industrialized potato bars mean more health. Makes sense, doesn't it?
In the United States, there are five main food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy products, and the board that oversees them is debating whether to shift potatoes from the vegetable category to the cereal category. There is certainly a precedent for this, since in Israel, for example, potatoes are officially defined as cereals according to the new food pyramid, but quite a few sources still define it as a starchy vegetable. On the other hand, in Britain, Canada, Australia and many other countries, potatoes are considered vegetables.
Potato fry,
However, despite the goodwill of the U.S. government, the initiative to convert the identity of potatoes from vegetables to grains is drawing considerable — and understandable — opposition from the U.S. Potato Growers Council, which fears a sharp decline in consumption.
"We urge the committee to recognise that a potato is not a grain," said Cam Quarles, the council's chief executive. "Potato is the most common vegetable in the U.S. Starchy vegetables and grains are two different food groups that provide different nutritional values. Unlike grains, white potatoes are rich in potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber. Studies show that diets rich in vegetables, including potatoes, promote a healthier lifestyle. The proposal to redefine potatoes is not based on a scientific decision. It will confuse the public and reduce its vegetable consumption. We ask the committee to avoid this chaotic outcome, and to continue to recognize that potatoes are vegetables," Quarles concluded in a rather dramatic tone, fearing that he would be touched by cartoshaks. To be continued.
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