Weight Management

A medium potato with the skin provides two grams of fiber (8% Daily Value) (1). Dietary fiber has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including improving blood lipid levels, regulating blood glucose, and increasing satiety, which may help with weight loss (2).

• A 2022 randomized controlled trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adding a 300-calorie serving of French fries to one’s typical diet every day for a month does not result in differential short-term weight gain compared to adding an isocaloric daily serving of almonds, generally considered a healthy snack option. At the end of the one-month trial, changes in body weight and fat mass were comparable across the French fry and almond intervention groups and not clinically significant. Participants who consumed standard French fries lost an average of 0.53 lbs, while the almond group gained an average of 1.08 lbs and the group who consumed French fries seasoned with herbs and spices gained an average of 1.03 lbs.  
• Research shows that overweight adults can successfully incorporate daily potato consumption into their weight loss plans. A 12-week randomized control trial of overweight adults, comparing two reduced calorie diets with a control diet – all of which included five to seven servings of potatoes per week – showed modest weight loss in all three groups (3).
• Research has shown that potato-based meals reduced appetite relative to pasta or brown rice. However, in this particular study, there was no difference in subsequent lunch intake despite reduction in appetite in the previous meal (4).
• A 2016 study, supported by APRE, found that enjoying mashed potatoes with a meal helps to increase children’s satiety and results in significantly fewer calories being consumed, compared to when other carbohydrate dishes are eaten as accompaniments (5).
• A 2013 study, supported by APRE, examining the association between white potato consumption and dietary fiber intake indicated that when controlling for possible confounding variables, white potatoes were positively associated with higher dietary fiber intakes among both adults and children. Specifically, potatoes provided more than 6 percent of dietary fiber to adults and 7 percent to children, while providing only 3 percent of total energy, suggesting potatoes have a favorable fiber-to-calorie ratio (6).

For more information on potatoes and weight management, read:

• Potatoes, Nutrition and Health: A Review, pages 14-15.
• Press release: French fries, as part of mixed meals, produce lower blood glucose and insulin levels in children.