Q: Are potato chips and French fries considered vegetables?

Answer:

As you may know, potato chips and French fries are made from potatoes. A plain potato is a vegetable and can be found in the Vegetable group in the Food Guide Pyramid. So when you eat a baked potato, mashed potatoes, or sweet potatoes, you are eating a vegetable.

But, when potato chips and French fries are made, the potatoes are cut and placed into oil, which is known as frying. When this happens, the potato moves from the Vegetable group into the Fat, Oils, and Sweets group on the Food Guide Pyramid. The Fats, Oils, and Sweets group is the smallest group on the very top of the pyramid, which means that these foods are less nutritious and don’t have many vitamins and minerals. These foods are okay every once in awhile but not to choose every day.

Sweet potato oven fries are a tasty substitute for French fries and you can help your parent or guardian make them. Ask an adult to slice the sweet potato into sticks. You can flavor them by putting them in a bowl and adding a very small amount of oil and a little salt and pepper. Ask an adult to bake them in the oven at 400¯F for about 30 minutes (depending on the thickness of the potatoes). Healthier choices instead of potato chips are carrot and celery sticks, fruit, or baked potato chips.

Remember that foods like potato chips and French fries don’t count as vegetables and are foods you should eat once in awhile, rather than everyday.

Jennifer Prish, MS, RD, LDN, Employee Wellness Coordinator

Activities:

Locate the Healthy Living section in today’s Herald-Sun. Find articles and advertisements about different type of foods and see if you and your classmates can create healthy menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.