Potato-Loving Dieters Needn’t Worry

The key finding of a recent U.S. study should be good news for potato lovers on a diet: eating potatoes does not prevent weight loss. In addition, potatoes are a very healthful vegetable. One medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on spud contains just 110 calories, has 620 mg of potassium (more than a banana), provides 45 percent of the daily requirement of vitamin C, and contains no fat, sodium or cholesterol. For the study, 90 people were divided into three groups that ate 5 to 7 servings of potatoes a week as part of a lower calorie/high GI diet, or a lower calorie/low GI diet or an unrestricted diet. After 12 weeks, all three groups had lost weight.