We say potato, but the National School Lunch Program is saying potat-no. According to the agency's proposed federal nutritional guidelines, cafeterias will not be allowed to serve more than one cup of starchy vegetables per week a category that includes white potatoes, corn, peas, and fresh lima beans. Kevin Concannon, the undersecretary for the USDA's food, nutrition, and consumer services, believes the new rule will incorporate a greater variety of vegetables into children's diets; but as John Keeling, CEO of the National Potato Council, pointedly observes, It's only nutrition if kids eat it...if the dark green leaves end up in the trash can, nobody's better off.
Schools across the country have already eliminated French fries and tater tots from their menus and replaced them with low-fat, oven-baked fries, baked potatoes, or mashed potatoes made with skim milk. But the Institute of Medicine committee has based the new proposal on findings that kids are consuming more than enough starchy vegetables outside of school while avoiding dark green and orange vegetables and legumes.
These proposals, says ACSH's Dr. Ruth Kava, are seriously misguided. Many kids will remain hungry since potatoes, for example, are nutritious and filling.
Also, adds ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, these folks are grouping all potatoes into one bad food category French fries when that's clearly not the case. Potatoes are very healthful foods when they're not deep fried.
This is nothing more than another intrusive, ill-conceived government initiative that makes no sense, says ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom. Shall we also ban rice, pasta, and bread? These are also high starch foods. He adds, If these policy geniuses keep it up, people will end up eating only protein, at which point you can say goodbye to your kidneys.
