Potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and even protein. But do you think these complex, carb-rich root veggies are good for weight loss?

Potato diet followers believe they can lose about one pound a week. They see it as a quick way to shed weight short-term.

If you’re wondering how this diet works, it’s simple. You get all your calories from potatoes. There are many ways to do the potato diet but the easiest is to eat just plain potatoes for several days.

Though this diet is helpful especially for quick weight loss, it shouldn’t be followed long-term!

Potatoes are naturally low in fat and high in fiber and carbs, which help you feel full longer. So the potato diet can help you lose some kilos fast. But it might not last because it’s not a varied or balanced diet.

Here’s everything about the potato diet, pros, cons, what to eat, and what to avoid.

Starting the potato diet:

The potato diet started back in 1849 when potatoes were recommended to help people living a fancy lifestyle get slimmer. Potatoes are also a key part of many cultures worldwide, even though there's a big difference between eating potatoes as part of a healthy diet and following a diet that’s just potatoes.

In 2016, the potato diet regained some popularity. Also called the potato hack diet, books by Tim Steele were published, titled Potato Diet for Weight Loss. They drew inspiration from the 1849 potato diet. Steele’s version claims followers can lose one pound a day.

Besides weight loss, following the diet for 3 to 5 days boosts your immune system, increases energy levels, and improves sleep, according to the creator.

It’s also believed this diet helps digestion. High-fiber foods like potatoes create a diverse gut microbiome which may help with stuff like: Irritable bowel syndrome and intestinal inflammations.

Along with the potato hack diet, there are other diets that heavily rely on potatoes like: The Starch Solution diet.

Since 2016, other potato diet versions popped up that are less strict. They allow more flexible variations with other whole plant foods like veggies, fruits, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds. These less strict diets may be easier to keep up long term.

What do experts think about the potato diet?

Like the cabbage soup diet, the grapefruit plan, and many others, the potato diet focuses more on weight than on health. So it's recommended to follow it only for short periods to avoid harming overall body health.

The restrictive diet is risky not only because it fails to meet nutritional needs but also because it encourages fear of certain foods and eating based on a limited food list instead of listening to your body's signals, which can lead to eating disorders.

What can you eat on the potato diet?

The potato diet is made for short-term use to lose weight fast, usually followed for 2 to 5 days straight, though some do it for up to a week at a time.

While there are many versions, all potato diet meals are vegetarian, low in fat, encourage eating until full, and instead of weighing portions or counting calories, followers are encouraged to eat until satisfied.

Meals allowed on the potato diet:

There is no set meal schedule in the potato diet because you can eat until full, which delays hunger between meals. You're allowed main meals like breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks.

To make the potato diet more balanced and sustainable, you can add plant foods like fruits, veggies, grains, and legumes. These are low in natural fats and rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Even though fats aren't recommended for the short-term potato diet, they're an important part of any balanced diet.

Since a low-fat or fat-free diet isn't sustainable, if you're planning a diet not based on the potato diet, consider adding healthy fats like nuts, seeds, and avocado.On the other hand, the potato diet is cost-effective because potatoes are affordable.. 

Types of foods allowed in the potato diet:

When following the potato diet, you can eat the following foods:

1. All kinds of potatoes.

2. Whole plant foods (optional).

3. Minimum amount of spices (optional).

4. Coffee, tea, and water.

How to include food groups in the potato diet:-

You can add some other foods to the potato diet, which gives your plan some variety and quality. These foods include:

1- Plain potatoes:-

In the strictest potato diet forms, you only eat plain potatoes for a few days each time you follow the diet. This type aims to maximize weight loss fast. It also bans fats like butter, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and avocado. It’s good to know these healthy fats help boost essential nutrients in potatoes.

The variety of allowed potatoes depends on which potato diet you follow. For example, if you're doing the Still Potato Breakthrough diet, stick to regular white potatoes. If your plan is more relaxed, you can also have types like yellow and red potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

How you cook potatoes is just as important as the type. Cooking methods that add fat like frying aren’t recommended. You should stick to ways without added fat like boiling, steaming, baking, or roasting.

How many potatoes you should eat daily depends on the person. Almost all versions of the potato diet suggest eating until you feel full.

The general advice is to eat about 2 to 5 pounds of potatoes each day. It's important to get enough calories on this restricted diet because eating too few calories might leave you missing nutrients.

2- Whole plant foods:-

The pure potato diet doesn't allow any extra foods besides potatoes, not even nutrient-rich ones like fruits and vegetables. But the more flexible potato diets are made to be easier to stick to long-term. Depending on the version you follow, you might be able to eat unprocessed whole foods alongside potatoes. This includes fruits, veggies, and naturally low-fat grains. Foods naturally high in fat like nuts, seeds, and avocado may be limited or not recommended.

When other plant foods are allowed, potatoes still have to be the main part of your plate. These extra foods should be seen as a supplement for potatoes' nutrients.

3- Spices and seasonings:-

Although spices, sauces, and seasonings are also limited on the strict potato diet, the less strict versions allow low-fat options like mustard and homemade ketchup in small amounts. Salt is also allowed to season potatoes, though experts don’t favor it. Generally, you should use fat-free spices and seasonings sparingly.

4- Drinks:-

Water, coffee, and regular tea are the only drinks allowed on the potato diet. It's important to stay hydrated, so drinking lots of water is encouraged during the potato diet or any other diet.

What foods are not allowed on the potato diet?

Like other diets, there are some foods this diet prohibits when you're on it, such as:

1- Animal products:

Even though all foods in the potato diet are plant-based, that doesn’t mean it’s just for vegetarians. It’s short-term, and both vegetarians and non-vegetarians can follow it.

When on the potato diet, all animal products are banned because it’s a low-fat diet. So you must avoid high-fat animal foods like butter, cheese, eggs, fatty meats, fatty fish, and processed meats.

2- Added fats:

Like animal products, added fats like vegetable oils are completely banned on the potato diet since it’s low in fat.

On the other hand, this diet encourages eating large amounts of naturally low-calorie foods. Even though you consume fewer calories through the day, eating lots of these foods keeps you feeling full.

3- Processed and refined foods:-

The potato diet encourages you to eat whole, unprocessed foods during the plan. Processed foods aren’t part of the plan because they’re high in calories, fat, and sodium, and usually low in nutrients.

For example, baked potatoes are more nutritious than fried potatoes or potato chips, even though they all come from potatoes.

Even vegetarian-friendly processed foods like pasta, bread, and potato chips should be avoided on this diet. Also, refined foods like cakes, cookies, and cereals aren’t allowed because they have high sugar and fat.

Benefits of following the potato diet:

1- Helps with weight loss:-

The potato diet is designed mainly for weight loss and to be a quick, consistent solution for you. It’s focused on low fat and low calories. But the weight loss might not last because the diet is only followed for 3 to 5 days at a time.

2- Short term:-

If you're looking for a short-term diet to get quick results, the potato diet might be the answer since it lasts only 3 to 5 days. Also, the creator of the potato diet claims it can help lose about a pound a day.

3- Improves digestion:-

Some people are drawn to the potato diet not just to lose weight but for its benefits to digestive health. Potatoes are easy to digest, making this diet gentle on the digestive system. Plus, potatoes are high in fiber, which helps keep food moving through the digestive tract.

4- Easy to follow:-

Mono diets like the potato diet have one advantage over other diets: they're much easier to stick to. It's simple to know what you can eat and what to avoid. People who struggle with complicated diet rules will find the potato diet straightforward.

Cons of following the potato diet:-

1- Not sustainable:-

Eating just one type of food, even if it's root vegetables, isn't a sustainable long-term diet. Potato diets are seen as short-term, but some people have stuck with them for up to a year. For most people, this diet isn't sustainable because it doesn't meet balanced diet recommendations.

2- Not a balanced diet:-

The potato diet doesn't include many nutrient-rich foods with a variety of nutrients. Potatoes are nutritious but lack some essential nutrients. So, following a potato diet can cause nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition if done for a long time.

Weight loss may be short-term:-

You might not keep off the weight lost with very short diets. You might regain all the weight you lost. The lost weight might just be water weight, not fat. Once you go back to your usual lifestyle, you could regain the weight you lost on the potato diet.