Potatoes are healthy, but french fries? Not so much.

While potatoes can be a good source of fiber, their health benefits mostly depend on how they are prepared. French fries may not be the best option. Getty Images

They’re the most popular vegetable in the United States, where people eat an average of nearly 50 pounds of them a year, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department’s most recent food availability data. But the humble potato doesn’t always get the nutritional respect of say, Brussels sprouts.

“Potatoes have long been associated with poor health despite being basically healthy foods,” said Marion Nestle, a molecular biologist and Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, emerita, at New York University.

Mounting evidence suggests the key to making potatoes part of a healthy diet comes down to how