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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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.
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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.
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UPDATE [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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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.
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