Potatoes May Not Be Considered a Vegetable In the Near Future

I come bearing news on the astonishing scale of “Pluto is no longer a planet.” In the near future, potatoes may no longer be considered vegetables.

The Wall Street Journal reported this month that the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which organizes food into five categories—dairy, fruit, grains, protein, and vegetables—is reshuffling its dietary guidelines for 2025. This change could land potatoes in a different category.

The update intends to ensure everyone receives the right nutrients and servings of food each day. But, the experts worry that if every single one of your vegetable servings is full of potatoes alone, you might not be getting enough nutrients. In response, starchy vegetables might be moved into the same category as grains, next to rice and other starchy carbs.

Not everyone is psyched about the potential change. The National Potato Council and The Grain Chain have expressed their opposition to categorizing potatoes as anything other than vegetables. 

“While NPC is sensitive to individual needs and cultures, we urge the Committee to recognize [that] a potato is not a grain,” Kam Quarles, the CEO of the National Potato Council, told Food and Wine. “Potatoes are the most widely produced vegetable in the U.S. Starchy vegetables and grains are two vastly different food groups that play distinctly different roles in contributing nutrients to the diet... Research shows that diets high in vegetable consumption, including potatoes, promote healthy outcomes overall.” 

Unlike grains, white potatoes are a strong contributor of potassium, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber, Quarles' statement pointed out.

Whatever the 2025 guidelines show, it’s important to diversify your plate. If you love potatoes, eat them! They’re high in fiber, vitamin C, and other nutrients, and, as of now, they’re still classified as a vegetable. But consider adding in other veggies and leafy greens to get in everything you need. 

After all, Pratik Pokharel, a PhD candidate who worked on a paper investigating the relationship between potato consumption and Type 2 diabetes, told Fox News 5 Atlanta that “people eat food rarely in isolation.”

“We should look at the bigger picture while assessing the relationship between dietary intake and disease incidence,” he said. “It is crucial to look at the underlying dietary pattern and food processing method to see what other culprits are rather than blaming on one food.”

So, changing the categorization of potatoes might not change much in our everyday life. But it might change how we organize our plates. For now, though, keep eating what you want.