Tag Archives: potatoes

Summer Produce: What’s Up with Herbs?

With farmer’s markets across the country in full swing, you might be wondering how in the world you’re going to navigate the overflowing stands of fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs.

With more leafy greens than you can count and basil plants that seem to be bursting at the seams, how does a produce novice manage to take home fruits and veggies that will make it to your table and into your meals and snacks?

This week, we’re taking you through some of the herbs – popular and obscure – that you might encounter at your farmer’s market. Because fresh herbs sold at outdoor or indoor local markets are typically fresh and free of preservatives, you’ll need to use them pretty quickly.

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Posted on July 27, 2025 by Maris

Healthy Recipes for Memorial Day Parties

Memorial Day is one holiday almost everyone looks forward to. What’s not to love? The last Monday of every May, we honor our fallen U.S. soldiers and their families on a weekend when the weather starts to heat up in most parts on the country. Barbecues, camping trips and outdoor parties are how most people celebrate Memorial Day, the sunshine, and show their patriotism.

Memorial Day is tons of fun, but barbecues are notorious for being full of calorie and fat packed foods, so plan ahead. If you are taking advantage of the long weekend and going camping, indulging in 3 days worth of this indulgent food can really do some damage. If you are hosting, you have full control of the menu, but if you are a guest, bring your own “safe” dish that you know is healthy, and you already know the calories and fat per serving.

Whether you’re planning to usher in summer at the beach or with a backyard cookout, there are a lot of tempting, warmer-weather treats that might appeal to you no matter how much you want to stick to a healthy diet. Fend off cravings by making slimmer versions of your favorite meals and treats.

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Posted on May 11, 2026 by Maris

Add Yellow to Your Meals for Health and Bright Color

By Rebecca Scritchfield, RD a nutrition expert based in Washington, D.C. www.rebeccascritchfield.com.

March is National Nutrition Month and we are eating our way through the rainbow-ROYGBIV style. Today’s color is Yellow! What makes these foods the color of the sun? The bright yellow color shows you these yellow foods are loaded with vitamins and minerals. The bright yellow color in fruits and vegetables comes from flavonoids, beta-carotene, and vitamin C, which helps prevent against aging, cancer and build overall health!

Make sure to color your plate with these yellow foods!

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Posted on March 16, 2026 by GuestBlogger

Eat Right With White Foods Packed With Nutrition

Mary Hartley, RD, MPH, is the director of nutrition for Calorie Count, providing domain expertise on issues related to nutrition, weight loss and health. She creates original content for weekly blogs and newsletters, for the Calorie Count library, and for her popular daily Question-and-Answer section, Ask Mary. Ms. Hartley also furnishes direction for the site features and for product development.

White food has gotten a bum rap because white sugar and white flour may be harmful in excess. But it’s unwise to discriminate against “white” when it’s the color of some mighty healthy foods. Milk, cottage cheese, cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, onions, tofu, potatoes, white beans, and white whole wheat flour are all over-the-top nutritious. But unlike other foods with nutrient properties based on color, white foods actually have nothing nutritionally in common.

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Posted on March 11, 2026 by GuestBlogger

Noshing on Potatoes with The Nutrition Twins

Guest bloggers, The Nutrition Twins® Tammy Lakatos, RD, CDN, CFT and Lyssie Lakatos, RD, CDN, CFT are the authors of The Secret To Skinny: How Salt Makes You Fat and The 4-Week Plan to Drop a Size & Get Healthier with Simple Low-Sodium Swaps (HCI, Fall 2026) and Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for Burning Fat and Losing Weight Forever. You can visit the Nutrition Twins website for more information on this dynamic duo.

For years we’ve been witnessing our clients who include one medium sized (5.3- ounce) skin-on, baked potato in their regular meal plan feel more satisfied and meet their weight loss goals while doing so. As registered dietitians, we aren’t surprised that potatoes can be helpful in weight loss. After all, besides witnessing the weight loss results in our clients (who are thrilled to be told they can eat potatoes and lose weight!) there is a lot to love about spuds:

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Posted on February 19, 2026 by GuestBlogger

60 Day Potato Diet Yields Surprising Results

If you’re an Atkins or a South Beach dieter, you might worry that eating starchy spuds will cause you to pile on excess poundage. However, Chris Voigt, the head of the Washington State Potato Commission, could probably tell you otherwise.

It’s part of Voigt’s job to promote potatoes as a healthy, accessible and affordable vegetable. From October 1 to December 1, he decided to “walk the walk” and eat nothing but potatoes — about 20 potatoes per day- prepared in a variety of ways.

Over the course of the two month diet, Voigt lost 21 pounds and dropped his cholesterol level by 67 points to a healthier level. Registered dietitian Cynthia Sass appeared on the TODAY Show with Voigt to weigh in on the diet.

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Posted on December 7, 2025 by Maris

Potato Primer: 4 Healthy Ways to Prep Potatoes

You know you can mash them with cream and butter. You’ve heard of au gratin – butter and cheese. But did you know that there are plenty of ways to prepare everyone’s favorite starchy vegetable without added fat and calories?

Despite their reputation as diet delinquents, potatoes can actually be a healthy side dish, especially in the winter when people tend to crave comfort and carbohydrates. Instead of letting them derail your healthy eating plans, learn how to prepare them so that they can be part of your healthy, balanced diet. (more…)

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Maris

Healthy Recipes for a Perfect Thanksgiving Feast

You might be a great cook but if you serve the same Thanksgiving fare year after year, your guests are bound to start going home hungry.

Whether you’re preparing a meal from start to finish in your own kitchen or toting a side dish and dessert to a nearby gathering, it’s easy to refresh your favorite classic dishes without piling on fat and calories.

Cheese Ball
It’s tempting to snack on rich cheeses and sodium-packed crackers while you’re waiting for the turkey to finish cooking. This year, skip the mindless snacking by presenting your guests with a cheese ball flavored with herbs and spices so tasty you’ll never know that you’re eating reduced-fat cheese. (more…)

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Maris

100 Percent Potato Diet

PotatoUPDATE [10/29/10]: For health reasons, Voigt has added more fried potato dishes to his diet and expanding his toppings, including potato chips. “You have to remember that there is absolutely no fat in a potato, no fat in any of the seasonings or herbs I’m eating,” he wrote in his blog. “But there are 2 fatty acids that are essential to bodily functions and are needed by your body. The healthy oils from the fries and chips are supplying me those fatty acids.” It seems that now half way through his 20-potatoes-a-day diet, Voigt is loosing some of this enthusiasm.

The executive director of the Washington State Potato Commission, Chris Voigt, is taking an unusual approach to promoting his product. He’s eating an all-potato diet of about 20 spuds per day. Voigt has followed the diet for three weeks, and plans to continue for a total of 60 days.

“I feel fine. I really don’t notice any difference,” said Voigt, “My blood sugar is hanging right in there, and my blood pressure is stable.” He’s also lost about 12 pounds. “I really wasn’t planning on that,” he said.

Voigt is eating about 2,200 calories per day. With the skins, potatoes provide the daily recommended quantity of many key nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, iron and niacin. They also contain protein. He has allowed himself a little oil, herbs and other spices to cook and flavor his potatoes.

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Posted on October 25, 2025 by Health Buzz

Potatoes are a Smart Food Choice for Weight Loss

Potatoes get a bit of a bad rap. Lately, I’ve come to realize how much I love a baked potato now and again as a satisfying side dish to a lean protein and tossed salad. But, in a post-Atkins world, that would seem like a diet taboo. Not so, says a new study.

“When it comes to weight loss, it is not about eliminating a certain food or food groups. Rather, it is reducing calories that count,” said study leader Britt Burton-Freeman of the University of California, Davis.

The study’s leader went on to say that not only is there no evidence that a healthfully prepared potato is bad for your diet, it can actually be a part of your weight loss plan. (more…)

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Jason

Healthy Recipes for Your Labor Day Party

As the summer draws to a close, Labor Day is the perfect time to gather all of your loved ones and celebrate the last days sunshine with relaxation, fun and, like any get together, food.

Labor Day doesn’t have to make or break your diet. By taking advantage of the fresh produce in season this summer and offering healthy, fresh and delicious dishes to your guests, you’ll be able to enjoy your party, guilt-free, without worrying about busting anyone’s swim suit seams.

Running low on ideas? Here are a few of our tried and true recipes that will satisfy your guests’ taste buds without expanding their waistlines.

Barbecued Corn What’s a summer celebration without corn on the cob? Instead of drenching it in butter, try topping your corn with a bit of Parmesan cheese, pepper or a little garlic. (more…)

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Kelly