Pare off its warty exterior and you'll uncover the royal vegetable within: a perfect, ivory-fleshed, winter alternative to potatoes and other starches.

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Gone is the basement level of the pyramid the heftiest slab a foundation of breads, starches and other carbohydrates.

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You can switch to other, less expensive starches like rice, which some nutritionists would argue is better for you.

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Put as simply as possible, it advocated eating from all food groups every day -- two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of vegetables a day, including veggies both dark green (kale, broccoli) and orange (carrots, squash), starches (potatoes, corn), and "other" (artichokes, green beans).

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