Potatoes May Lose "Vegetable" Tag In U.S.

According to the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, when Americans eat vegetables, they mostly consume potatoes and tomatoes, as reported by Jelisa Castrodale for the trade journal Food & Wine.

There's a chance that the USDA will reclassify potatoes, moving them from starchy vegetables into the same category as grains, rice, and other carbs.

In 2019, the average American consumed almost 50 pounds of potatoes over the course of the year and ate around 31 pounds of tomatoes. However, in the future, when the USDA starts tallying yearly vegetable consumption, tomatoes may take the top spot on a technicality.

There's a chance that the agency will reclassify potatoes, moving them from starchy vegetables into the same category as grains, rice, and other carbs.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services, is working on dietary guidelines for 2025, and potatoes may be reshuffled.

The dietary guidelines categorize foods into five familiar groups — dairy, fruit, grains, protein, and vegetables — but the increasing prevalence of different diets and "eating patterns" may lead to changes in these categories.

"The panel wants to make sure everyone is getting enough nutrients, whether eating more potatoes, bread, or beans," the Journal explains.

It should be noted that the trade groups on both sides of the potential new classification — the National Potato Council and The Grain Chain — are both opposed to potatoes being defined as anything but a vegetable. Kam Quarles, the CEO of the National Potato Council, testified during a hearing of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, asking them to leave potatoes where they are.

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