An update of the evidence relating to plant‐based diets and cardiovascular disease,type 2 diabetes and overweight

Recent findings from meta‐analyses, European cohorts and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the relationship between plant‐based dietary regimes (i.e. those with an emphasis on plant foods, such as vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean or combination diets), and the incidence of, or risk factors for, cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are considered in this review. Evidence from meta‐analyses of epidemiological studies indicates that those following plant‐based dietary regimes have around 20–25% lower risk of developing CVD and a similar reduced risk of developing T2D. Evidence from RCTs indicates that those following plant‐based dietary regimes have lower total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol and blood pressure, and modest reductions in inflammatory and endothelial markers. Higher intake of plant foods has been associated with lower incidence of obesity, lower BMI and smaller waist circumference. For weight loss, it seems that following a plant‐based dietary regime results in weight loss comparable to that achieved on conventional reduced calorie diets, but with better overall weight management. The totality of evidence indicates there are benefits for cardiovascular health, risk of developing T2D and weight management from following a plant‐based dietary regime. From a nutritional perspective, plant‐based diets tend to be lower in saturated fatty acids, higher in unsaturated fatty acids and fibre, and lower in energy density than typical ‘Western’ diets. These qualities may be at the core of the health benefits reported and/or it may be simply a greater proportion of plant foods in the diet that is beneficial in its own right.     

Plant protein ingredients with food functionality potential

Proteins play many technological, physicochemical and sensory roles (i.e. functionalities) in foods, including solubility, emulsifying, gelling, foaming and flavour creation. In comparison with animal proteins, plant proteins have different structure, composition and food functionality. This review discusses how protein can be extracted from plant materials to produce protein‐rich ingredients for creating plant‐based foods. It explores the potential for a new generation of semi‐purified plant‐derived ingredients with greater sustainability and health benefits.     

Unintended Consequences: Nutritional Impact and Potential Pitfalls of Switching from Animal- to Plant-Based Foods

Consumers are shifting towards plant-based diets, driven by both environmental and health reasons. This has led to the development of new plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) that are marketed as being sustainable and good for health. However, it remains unclear whether these novel PBMAs to replace animal foods carry the same established nutritional benefits as traditional plant-based diets based on pulses, legumes and vegetables. We modelled a reference omnivore diet using NHANES 2017–2018 data and compared it to diets that substituted animal products in the reference diet with either traditional or novel plant-based foods to create flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets matched for calories and macronutrients. With the exception of the traditional vegan diet, all diets with traditional plant-based substitutes met daily requirements for calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron and Vitamin B12 and were lower in saturated fat, sodium and sugar than the reference diet. Diets based on novel plant-based substitutes were below daily requirements for calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc and Vitamin B12 and exceeded the reference diet for saturated fat, sodium and sugar. Much of the recent focus has been on protein quality and quantity, but our case study highlights the risk of unintentionally increasing undesirable nutrients while reducing the overall nutrient density of the diet when less healthy plant-based substitutes are selected. Opportunities exist for PBMA producers to enhance the nutrient profile and diversify the format of future plant-based foods that are marketed as healthy, sustainable alternatives to animal-based products.     

Implementing micronutrient fortification programs as a potential practical contribution to achieving sustainable diets

Due to sustainability concerns related to current diets and environmental challenges, it is crucial to have sound policies to protect human and planetary health. It is proposed that sustainable diets will improve public health and food security and decrease the food system's effect on the environment. Micronutrient deficiencies are a well-known major public health concern. One-third to half of the world's population suffers from nutrient deficiencies, which have a negative impact on society in terms of unrealised potential and lost economic productivity. Large-scale fortification with different micronutrients has been found to be a useful strategy to improve public health. As a cost-effective strategy to improve micronutrient deficiency, this review explores the role of micronutrient fortification programmes in ensuring the nutritional quality (and affordability) of diets that are adjusted to help ensure environmental sustainability in the face of climate change, for example by replacing some animal-sourced foods with nutrient-dense, plant-sourced foods fortified with the micronutrients commonly supplied by animal-sourced foods. Additionally, micronutrient fortification considers food preferences based on the dimensions of a culturally sustainable diet. Thus, we conclude that investing in micronutrient fortification could play a significant role in preventing and controlling micronutrient deficiencies, improving diets and being environmentally, culturally and economically sustainable.     

The challenges of defining a healthy and ‘sustainable’ diet

Considerable debate exists about changes required to current diets to deliver simultaneous improvements for both human health and environmental sustainability. Media coverage has focussed largely on the environmental and health impacts of animal source foods, particularly red meat. However, animal source foods contribute notably to intakes of micronutrients (e.g. iron, zinc, iodine, calcium) in current UK diets, and evidence indicates nutrient intakes/status may be inadequate if appropriate substitutions are not made when restricting such foods in the diet, highlighting the need to consider the overall dietary pattern. Healthy and sustainable dietary patterns have been modelled based on nutritional adequacy alone (e.g. Eatwell Guide), or nutrition combined with environmental impact (e.g. WWF Livewell Plates). Studies have also considered other aspects, such as the health impact or cost, with some analyses providing ‘optimised’ diets representing the smallest required changes to current diets. Consistent changes are evident for most food groups (e.g. increases in fruit and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates, fish and – in most cases – beans, pulses and other legumes; decreases in red/processed meat, cheese and high‐fat/sugar foods). However, recommendations for dairy consumption (particularly milk) are less consistent. Methodological variation makes it difficult to directly compare recommendations to date, due to use of different data sources, environmental metrics and modelling assumptions/constraints, although reducing food waste is an important consideration regardless of dietary pattern. In the UK, adopting the government’s Eatwell Guide, which incorporates affordability and familiarity, appears a sensible direction of travel at the current time, likely to deliver nutritional, health and environmental benefits.     

Effect of ‘Kanwa’ treatment of cowpea (vigna unguiculata) seed flour on protein quality as measured by growth rate assays in rats

The growth performance of weanling Sprague‐Dawley rats fed test diets based on cowpea seed flour prepared using ‘Kanwa’ (an alkaline rocksalt) was studied. In addition, the protein quality (NPR & PER), feed efficiency and organ weights were determined at the end of the 21‐day growth assay. A 10% casein protein diet and a protein free diet were fed as positive and negative controls respectively. Growth, feed utilization, protein efficiency ratio (PER) net protein ratio (NPR) and relative net protein ratio (RNPR) were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced for rats fed Kanwa treated cowpea diets. Kanwa treatment did not however affect the relative organ weights. The results show that Kanwa treatment used in this study did affect the protein quality of the cooked cowpeas leading to a reduction in NPR and PER. The level of kanwa used in cooking cowpeas for infant foods should be minimized in order to prevent reduction in protein quality while saving cooking fuel.     

Dietetic intervention for inpatients on fluid‐only diets helps to achieve nutritional requirements

Aim

The present study aimed to assess whether dietetic intervention helps patients on fluid‐only diets to meet their energy and protein requirements. This topic has not been previously investigated.

Methods

A quasi‐experimental study of 57 patients receiving fluid‐only diets was conducted at The Townsville Hospital. The fluid consumption of participants was observed over 24 hours and was used to calculate total energy and protein intakes. The percentage of protein and energy requirements met was compared between patients receiving dietetic intervention and patients who were not.

Results

Patients receiving dietetic interventions met a higher percentage of their energy requirements (75.88) than the control group (18.10) based on median intakes (P < 0.001). Patients receiving dietetic intervention also met a higher percentage of their protein requirements (75.99) than the control group (13.80) based on median intakes (P < 0.001). Stratification for age, body mass index (BMI) and fluid diet type showed no change in effect.

Conclusions

This study shows that dietetic intervention enabled patients on fluid‐only diets to meet up to 80% more of their energy requirements and up to 95% more of their protein requirements. These results were consistent across age, BMI and fluid diet type. The significance of these differences has resulted in a change of clinical practice at the study hospital. All patients on fluid‐only diets for three days or longer are now blanket referred for dietetic intervention.     

Sustainable Diets as Tools to Harmonize the Health of Individuals,Communities and the Planet: A Systematic Review

Background. Climate change and global health are inextricably linked. Thus, health systems and their professionals must adapt and evolve without losing quality of care. Aim(s). To identify health and environmental co-benefits derived from a sustainable diet and promotion strategies that favor its implementation. Methods. A systematic search for articles published on sustainable diets and human/planetary health published between 2013 and 2020 was conducted on the databases PubMed, Cinahl, Scopus and Trip from 4 to 7 May 2020 in accordance with the PRISMA guideline. Results. A total of 201 articles was retrieved, but only 21 were included. A calorie-balanced diet mainly based on food of plant origin that would allow the attainment of 60% of daily caloric requirements and a low protein intake from animal foods (focusing in fish and poultry) could significantly reduce global morbi-mortality and the dietary environmental impact maintaining a framework of sustainability conditioned by the consumption of fresh, seasonal, locally produced and minimally packaged products. Discussion. The implementation of sustainable diets requires working on the triangulation of concepts of food–health–environment from schools and that is permanently reinforced during all stages of the life by healthcare workers, who should establish the appropriate modifications according to the age, gender and health situation.     

30 g of fibre a day: An achievable recommendation?

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) recently published its draft report on Carbohydrates and Health, in which new recommended intakes for fibre were proposed for children and adults, following an in‐depth review of the scientific evidence base. The recommendation for the adult population of 30 g/day, measured by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists' (AOAC) method, is somewhat higher than current recommendation and, according to intakes reported in the recent National Diet and Nutrition Survey, would require men to increase their fibre intakes by around 50% and women by 75%. This paper discusses current fibre intakes in the UK and describes the main contributors of fibre to the diet. Simple dietary modelling was carried out to investigate the feasibility of the recommendation by SACN in the context of other nutrient recommendations and food‐based guidelines. This demonstrated that it is possible to consume 30 g of AOAC fibre a day in the context of a healthy diet that meets other dietary recommendations if all meals are based on starchy foods (including mainly wholegrain options and potatoes with their skins), high fibre snacks are selected and the diet is rich in fruit and vegetables (around 8 portions daily). Barriers to meeting the recommendation are considered, including the negative consumer perceptions of starchy foods and a lack of awareness regarding the health benefits of fibre, particularly those beyond bowel health. Labelling regulations may pose further challenges, as there is not an agreed definition for ‘wholegrain’ and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that there is, as yet, insufficient evidence to warrant an official health claim for dietary fibre (as a general food ingredient). Although feasible in the context of other dietary guidelines, the required dietary pattern to achieve 30 g of AOAC fibre a day is not reflective of average diets in the UK. Achieving this population recommendation will therefore be a considerable challenge. Co‐operation and collaboration is likely to be required from a number of stakeholders including the food industry, health professionals and regulatory bodies to raise awareness of the benefits of dietary fibre and encourage greater consumption of higher fibre foods. Innovative high fibre ingredients may also be needed to make it easier for consumers to boost their fibre intakes.     

Achieving eatwell plate recommendations: is this a route to improving both sustainability and healthy eating?

By using data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme, the objective was to determine the extent to which consumers meet the nutrition guidelines implicit in the eatwell plate; to profile those eating healthily and gain insight on how they achieved the recommendations and whether in doing so, their eating pattern was also potentially more sustainable. Only 4% of adults simultaneously met five targets related to fat, saturated fatty acids (SFA), 5 A DAY fruit and vegetables, fibre (non‐starch polysaccharide; NSP) and protein intake and, with the exception of target protein intake, the majority of people (51%) achieved none of the guidelines. The addition of the oil‐rich fish recommendation reduces those meeting all six targets to 1%. Just 12% of the population (n = 94) met the three targets for fat, SFA and fruit and vegetable intake. These were designated achievers, who tended to be older by 5 years and to have a degree (P < 0.05), while non‐achievers were more likely to smoke (P < 0.05). Energy intakes were slightly lower in achievers (non‐significant), who had significantly lower fat and SFA intakes and higher intakes of protein. Intakes of NSP were significantly higher among achievers, who on average met the dietary reference value for NSP. The main NDNS food groups with a significantly higher intake in achievers were skimmed milks, chicken and turkey dishes, white fish (not fried) and shellfish and wholemeal breads, while non‐achievers consumed more coated chicken, meat pies and pastries, cheese, whole milks and white bread. It appears that the achievers have reduced the fat content of their diet by focussing on lower fat/higher fibre alternatives within the same category of foods rather than introducing more plant foods such as legumes, nuts and seeds. There is growing interest in the future sustainability of current dietary patterns in light of expected climate change and an expanding global population. Although only one facet of a very complex picture, plant foods are typically associated with fewer greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than those of animal origin. On this limited basis, achievers were not necessarily eating more sustainably. It is suggested, by reference to literature values (primarily for potential GHG emissions of food production), that with some rebalancing and through the inclusion in current UK dietary patterns of more plant foods, particularly more plant proteins and starchy foods, the existing eatwell plate could not only provide the basis of a cost‐effective healthy diet, but also a potentially more sustainable one too. However, in order to meet these joint objectives, improved consumer understanding and practical advice on how to use the eatwell plate in this way is clearly required.     

Sources and Amounts of Animal,Dairy, and Plant Protein Intake of US Adults in 2007–2010

Dietary guidelines suggest consuming a mixed-protein diet, consisting of high-quality animal, dairy, and plant-based foods. However, current data on the distribution and the food sources of protein intake in a free-living, representative sample of US adults are not available. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007–2010, were used in these analyses (n = 10,977, age ≥ 19 years). Several US Department of Agriculture (USDA) databases were used to partition the composition of foods consumed into animal, dairy, or plant components. Mean ± SE animal, dairy, and plant protein intakes were determined and deciles of usual intakes were estimated. The percentages of total protein intake derived from animal, dairy, and plant protein were 46%, 16%, and 30%, respectively; 8% of intake could not be classified. Chicken and beef were the primary food sources of animal protein intake. Cheese, reduced-fat milk, and ice cream/dairy desserts were primary sources of dairy protein intake. Yeast breads, rolls/buns, and nuts/seeds were primary sources of plant protein intake. This study provides baseline data for assessing the effectiveness of public health interventions designed to alter the composition of protein foods consumed by the American public.     

India and the protein problem

An appreciable proportion of the population in India has an insufficient amount of protein in the diet. However, the same diets are almost always deficient in total energy. There is no evidence that the quality and concentration of protein in the cereal‐pulse based diet normally eaten in India is inadequate to meet protein needs, provided man eats enough to meet his energy needs. What diets apparently lack is energy foods to avoid the catabolism of the protein which is consumed. Supplementing diets with protein or amino acids is a costly and inefficient method of meeting energy and protein needs under these conditions. The concept of recommended protein intake and its use in assessing protein needs is commented upon.     

Prebiotics – an added benefit of some fibre types

Prebiotics are food components that are selectively used by gut bacteria, conferring a health benefit, most notably stimulating the growth of bifidobacteria. Accepted prebiotics at present are the fibre types galacto‐oligosaccharides, fructo‐oligosaccharides and inulin, some forms of which occur naturally in foods such as pulses, grains, fruit and vegetables. Prebiotics can also be isolated and produced commercially for use as functional ingredients and supplements. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the place of prebiotics in a healthy, balanced diet, to explore potential health effects, particularly in relation to gut health, and to consider whether there are implications of consuming a diet low in prebiotics. Dietary fibre is important for health, with high‐fibre diets reducing risk of several chronic diseases, via its effects on bowel function, gut microbiota, and cholesterol and glycaemic levels. The prebiotic effects of some fibre types may contribute to these effects. Evidence from supplementation studies carried out in humans suggests that consumption of prebiotics may confer an array of health benefits such as cholesterol lowering, relief of symptoms of gastrointestinal disorders, increased satiety and immunomodulatory effects, though more studies are needed. Findings from observational and intervention studies indicate that exclusion diets, such as low‐carbohydrate, gluten‐free and the low Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols diet, result in changes to the gut microbiota such as reduced abundance of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, though whether or not there are any long‐term health implications remains unknown. Studies investigating whether prebiotic supplements may be useful in conjunction with such diets (when these are required for medical reasons) to help restore levels of bacteria that are considered to be beneficial, are warranted. Overall, there is a need to promote high‐fibre foods across the UK population as intakes currently fall well below recommendations.     

Adolescents’ Food Choice and the Place of Plant-Based Foods

A diet dominated by plant foods, with limited amounts of refined processed foods and animal products conveys substantial health benefits. This study sought to explore adolescents’ attitudes and perceptions towards plant-based foods. Semi-structured focus group interviews were conducted with adolescents (age 14–15 years) (n = 29) attending an inner city school in Yorkshire, UK. Using a grounded theory methodology, data analysis provided four main categories and related concepts revolving around adolescents’ perspectives on plant-based foods: food choice parameters; perceived drivers and benefits of plant-based foods; environmental food cues; barriers to plant-based food choice. In the emergent grounded theory, a clear disconnect between plant-based foods and the parameters that adolescents use to make food choices, is highlighted. Further, key barriers to adolescents adopting a plant-based diet are differentiated and considered with respect to practice and policy. The analysis offers a framework to remodel and re-present plant-based foods. In this way, it is proposed that a closer connection is possible, with consequent shifts in adolescents’ dietary behaviour towards a more plant-based diet and associated health benefits.     

Food security through the lens of nutrition

The Foresight report has described an unprecedented confluence of pressures whereby a growing, and in some cases, increasingly prosperous global population, alongside increasing demand for limited resources and the pressing need to address environmental challenges, including climate change and changing weather patterns, means that food security is seriously and increasingly threatened. Much of the discussion has focussed on greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production and the contribution from meat production and dairying has been highlighted. These protein‐rich foods are features of Western‐style diets and as such make a substantial contribution to intakes of a wide range of essential nutrients. Therefore, it is important to understand the impact on overall dietary patterns and associated nutrient intakes if consumption levels fall, as well as the impact from a sustainability standpoint. From a nutritional perspective, the initial knee jerk reaction around simply eating less meat is already being replaced by a more sophisticated debate that is now considering whether a healthy diet, as currently framed by food‐based dietary guidelines, can also be a sustainable dietary pattern now and in the future. There are some important questions that need to be addressed in order for a clearer picture to emerge. For example, it is as yet unclear what dietary choices consumers would make if their consumption of these foods were to be reduced, what effect these choices would have on their health and on sustainability of the food supply, and which groups of the population or individuals within households will be most vulnerable, recognising that there are demographic changes already underway associated with an ageing population. This paper provides a viewpoint through the lens of nutrition and summarises some of the initiatives already underway in relation to food security.     

Fermentable short chain carbohydrate (FODMAP) content of common plant‐based foods and processed foods suitable for vegetarian‐ and vegan‐based eating patterns

Background

The low FODMAP (fermentable, oligo‐, di‐, mono‐saccharides and polyols) diet is an effective strategy to improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. However, combining the low FODMAP diet with another dietary restriction such as vegetarianism/veganism is challenging. Greater knowledge about the FODMAP composition of plant‐based foods and food processing practices common to vegetarian/vegan eating patterns would assist in the implementation of the diet in this patient population. The present study aimed to quantify the FODMAP content of plant‐based foods common in vegetarian/vegan diets and to investigate whether food processing can impact FODMAP levels.

Methods

Total FODMAP content was quantified in 35 foods, including fructose‐in‐excess‐of‐glucose, lactose, sorbitol, mannitol, galacto‐oligosaccharide and total fructan, using high‐performance‐liquid‐chromatography and enzymatic assays. The effects of cooking, sprouting, pickling, fermentation, activation and canning on FODMAP content were assessed. The Monash University criteria to classify foods as low FODMAP was used.

Results

Of the 35 foods, 20 were classified as low FODMAP , including canned coconut milk (0.24 g serve^–1), dulse (0.02 serve^–1), nutritional yeast (0.01 serve^–1), soy cheese (0.03 serve^–1), tempeh (0.26 serve^–1), wheat gluten (0.13 serve^–1) and wheat grass (0.05 serve^–1). No FODMAP s were detected in agar‐agar, egg replacer, vegan egg yolk, kelp noodles and spirulina. Food processing techniques that produced the greatest reduction in FODMAP content included pickling and canning.

Conclusions

The present study provides a greater FODMAP composition knowledge of plant‐based foods that can now be applied to the dietetic management of vegetarians/vegans requiring a low FODMAP diet. Food processing lowered the FODMAP content of foods, thereby increasing options for patients following a low FODMAP diet.

     

The influence of dairy products on plasma uric acid in women

Elevated levels of plasma uric acid have been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and their complications. As dairy proteins have been found to decrease plasma uric acid without increasing glomerular filtration rate, a sample of postmenopausal women living in Montreal was studied to investigate the nature of this relationship. Participants (158 Roman Catholic nuns) were randomly assigned to one of two test diets for a period of four weeks: the dairy foods group (n=81) consumed approximately 30 grams of dairy protein daily and the dairy-free diet group (n=77) ate no dairy foods at all. Subjects completed two one-day food records, a core questionnaire and a dairy foods diet history; blood specimens were obtained, and blood pressure, height and weight were measured. Average nutrient intakes differed as a consequence of the test diets, with significantly greater intakes of protein, fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, potassium and calcium (p<0.01) in the dairy group after the study period, and lower dietary levels of protein, cholesterol, calcium and retinol (p<0.01) in the dairy-free group. Plasma uric acid was unchanged after the dietary intervention in the dairy group, but increased by 7.8 µmol/1 (p=0.03) in subjects on the dairy-free diet; however, diastolic blood pressure decreased in response to calcium (=–22.9, SE=10.0,p=0.02) among those whose diet included dairy foods. The study results suggest that proteins of dairy origin may play a role in stabilising or lowering plasma uric acid, and that calcium or other components found in milk products may also reduce diastolic blood pressure. While these findings have implications for dietary prevention to decrease cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women, further investigations should examine these mechanisms in men over the age of 50 to ascertain whether a similar response would occur.     

Paleolithic diets: a sceptical view

Some anthropologists have suggested that humans are genetically determined to eat diets quite different from those of today. Very little human evolution has occurred in the past 15,000 years. However, diets have changed dramatically and in parallel with a shift in disease patterns from infectious diseases and diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies, to chronic degenerative diseases associated with excessive and unbalanced intake of energy and nutrients. This review examines some of the archaeological evidence relating to the diets of early man and other primates, and current hunter‐gatherer societies. Knowledge of the relative proportions of animal and plant foods in the diets of early humans is circumstantial, incomplete, and debatable and there are insufficient data to identify the composition of a genetically‐determined optimal diet. The evidence related to Paleolithic diets is best interpreted as supporting the idea that diets based largely on plant foods promote health and longevity, at least under conditions of food abundance and physical activity.     

An analysis of potato consumption habits and diet quality among adults and children in the UK

Many people are confused about the nutritional role of potatoes in a healthy, balanced diet. Starchy foods are often under‐regarded by the public and maligned by proponents of low carbohydrate diets, yet carbohydrate should supply around 50% of dietary energy, preferably from sources such as potatoes, pulses and wholegrains. Potatoes provide significant quantities of shortfall micronutrients, yet they do not count as vegetables in 5 A DAY targets. To provide balanced advice, research is needed on potato consumption and its possible nutritional consequences. Therefore we analysed individual dietary records from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008–2012 to investigate potato consumption patterns and associations with nutrient intakes. We hypothesised that high consumption of potatoes would be associated with higher total intakes of potassium, B vitamins and fibre. Across the whole population, potatoes provided 7% of energy, 15% of potassium, 13% of dietary fibre (non‐starch polysaccharide) and vitamin C, 14% of vitamin B₆, 10% of folate, 8% of magnesium and 6% of iron. Both very low and very high consumption of potatoes (Q1 and Q5) was associated with lower energy and nutrient intakes, compared with average consumers. Lower micronutrient intakes were most pronounced in Q5 (mean 14.8% energy from potatoes), although Q1 had lowest intakes of potassium, vitamin B₆ and thiamin. Food intakes suggest a less healthy, varied dietary pattern among high potato consumers. Conversely, low consumers of potatoes had lower intakes of potassium, thiamin and vitamin B₆ (all found in potatoes) despite an apparently health‐conscious dietary pattern that included higher consumption of fruit, vegetables and fish. Our study suggests that based on current habits, a broad range of potato consumption is compatible with good nutrition, while high reliance on potatoes may be associated with an unbalanced diet. To help raise intakes of shortfall nutrients such as potassium and fibre, consumption of potatoes could be encouraged alongside existing healthy eating messages relating to vegetables, fruit and wholegrain foods.