Americans eat an average of 126 lbs of potatoes each year. But potatoes are not considered a vegetable in Harvard's Healthy Eating Plate. This is because they contain a high amount of carbohydrates which the body quickly digests, leading to rapid spikes and dips in blood sugar and insulin (in scientific terms, they have an high glycemic load).

A cup of potatoes can have a similar effect as a can or handful of jelly beans on blood sugar. A high dietary glycemic load can cause people to feel hungry again after eating. This could lead to an overeating disorder.

Long-term, diets high on potatoes and similar fast-digested, high-carbohydrate foods can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions.

Potatoes are a major cause of weight gain and diabetes.

Mozaffarian and colleagues conducted a 2011 study. Mozaffarian et al. (2011) studied the lifestyle and diet habits of 120,000 people for up to 20 year. They looked at how little changes in food choices could lead to weight gain.

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  People who ate more French fries, baked potatoes or mashed potatoes over the years gained more weight -- an extra 3.4 and 1.5 pounds each four years, respectively.

  
  


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  These people gained less weight if they ate fewer of these foods than those who ate more of the other vegetables.

  
  

Another long-term study showed that women who eat a lot of French fries and potatoes are more likely to develop diabetes. It also found that whole grains and potatoes could be replaced with healthier options.

Important nutrients like vitamin C, sodium, as well as vitamin B6 are all found in potatoes. The potato isn't the only food source for these nutrients.

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  Broccoli has almost nine times the vitamin C of a potato, according to one study.

  
  

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  White beans contain about twice the amount of potassium as black beans.

  
  

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What can you eat in place of potatoes?

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  Whole grains, particularly those that have not been processed much such as brown rice or quinoa, are a great choice.

  
  


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  Beans can be used as a side dish. They are rich in fiber, protein, and have a lower spike in blood sugar than refined grains.

  
  


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  This recipe uses cauliflower to achieve that mashed-potato texture.

  
  

You can swap sweet potatoes with white potatoes but you should be careful about how much you eat. Sweet potatoes have a high index and glycemic loads, which is almost as high as a white potato. Research has not shown sweet potatoes to be as dangerous for diabetes and obesity in people who eat them in smaller quantities than white potatoes.