White potatoes, along with corn, peas, and cassava, fall under the starchy vegetable subcategory.
Potatoes are classified with other vegetables based on their botanical and horticultural characteristics.
Are Potatoes a Vegetable or a Grain?
Photo Illustration by Lecia Landis for Verywell Health; Getty Images
Unlike green vegetables, potatoes contain starches that can cause a spike in blood sugar levels.
The nutrient profile of potatoes resembles whole grains like oats and brown rice.
But starches in whole grains are digested more slowly and, therefore, dont elevate blood sugar as quickly.
Theyre virtually fat-free and contain many vitamins such as B6, C, and potassium.
And they can contain dietary fiber, especially if you consume the skin.
Some public health authorities, such as Harvard T.H.
Chan School of Public Health, have already removed potatoes from the vegetable category.
Chan School of Public Healths department of nutrition.
Harvards recommendation to limit potato consumption was largely based on associations with weight gain and diabetes, she added.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Food availability and consumption.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Potassium: fact sheet for health professionals.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Vitamin C: fact sheet for health professionals.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.Food buying guide for child nutrition programs.
National Potato Council.Potatoes are a vegetable.
Harvard Health Publishing.Choosing good carbs with the glycemic index.
Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.Healthy eating plate.
