The Lovable, Versatile Potato

Throughout America, potatoes are the most popular vegetable, more popular than vegetables such as lettuce and onions. You can cook potatoes in a variety of ways, and they are included in one out of three meals eaten by almost all Americans. When they are prepared in a healthy way, a potato can be an excellent source of energy and also pack a nutritional punch.

Nutritional Value of Potatoes

Like oranges, potatoes are very high in vitamin C. As a matter of fact, one medium potato contains 45% of the vitamin C that's recommended for good health. Potatoes are also high in fiber and carbohydrates and contain more potassium than a banana.

A potato is naturally low in calories and contains no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. The skins of the potatoes provide a helpful dose of fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several B vitamins.

Many people on a diet believe that potatoes are fattening.  The truth is, the potato itself is not fattening -- it's all the stuff you put on it!  Butter, sour cream and cheeses pack calories into a potato.  Frying a potato in fatty oils will also add calories.

Cooking and Storing Potatoes

You can prepare potatoes by boiling them, steaming them, frying them, or even roasting them. Baked potatoes are great, even cold the next morning. 

If at all possible, you should avoid putting potatoes in the refrigerator or freezing them, as cold will turn the potato starch to sugar and cause them to turn dark when they are cooked. When you store potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark place. Too much light will cause them to turn green. You can store them in the basement if you have one, as the basement is the best place to keep potatoes.

What To Do if Your Potatoes Start Budding

If your potatoes start growing buds on them, don't throw them out!  Bury the potato two or three inches deep in your garden and in a couple of weeks, you'll see it turn into a plant!  Make sure that you plant your potato in loose soil so that it has room to grow several inches deep.  Allow your potato plan to grow throughout the summer and when it turns brown, dig it up for fresh new potatoes.

"The Lovable, Versatile Potato" contributed by Evan Rowe