Sigh. Another one of the world’s most beloved foods just made the list for packing some additional health baggage—particularly for women looking to get pregnant.
It seems like as research progresses and the medical community learns even more about how the food we eat affects our bodies, the tastiest kinds get slashed from the grocery list. Potatoes, of course, are a painful loss attributed to recent research that suggests “women who eat more potatoes before conceiving may face a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes while pregnant.”
What gives? Turns out, potatoes raise a person’s blood sugar more than just about any other type of food. Despite this discovery, researchers say pregnant women or those looking to conceive don’t need to drop fries altogether, but should instead aim to have only one serving a week.
The good news? Substituting other foods in for what would be a loaded baked potato helps cut the gestational diabetes risk. The same study found that replacing potatoes with vegetables, legumes, or whole grains reduced the risk by 9-12%.
If you’re like me and consider fries and other potato products one of the foods you could never live without, try subbing in mashed cauliflower or veggie chips. These may not taste as euphoric, but they’re closer to the real thing than kale is.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
comments