“Variety is so important in a healthy diet across the board,” said registered dietitian Dana Angelo White. “While focusing on only a small number of fruits and vegetables is better than nothing, it still makes it difficult to meet your needs for essential nutrients.”
A diet highly focused on potatoes, especially, can be harmful said White, who is assistant clinical professor of athletic training at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. “If the majority of potato consumption comes from processed sources like French fries and potato chips, they may be doing more harm than good,” she said.
The new data, from the USDA’s Economic Research Service, seems to bear that out. White potatoes accounted for about 115 pounds of the 384 pounds per person of vegetables and legumes eaten by the average American in 2013. However, two-thirds of those potatoes were used for French fries, potato chips and other processed or frozen potato products.
The same trends were seen for tomatoes. Of the 66 pounds of tomatoes consumed by the average American, only 20 pounds were for fresh tomatoes. The other 46 pounds were processed in a number of ways, including canned tomatoes, tomato sauces (such as ketchup), or as ingredients in processed stews, soups and other items.
Another nutrition expert suggested that consumers vary the “color” in their diet.
