Things You Might Not Know About Potatoes

After the tour of the Meredith campus, it was time for a presentation from the United States Potato Board.

Hooray, potatoes!

The presentation was for about 20 people (editors, test kitchen culinary specialists, marketing folks) from various Meredith publications.

Leading the presentation were Meredith Myers, Publication Relations Manager from the United States Potato Board, and Kris Caputo, Senior Vice President of Fleishman-Hillard.

I’ve always been a fan of potatoes, but after hearing this presentation, I’m even more pro-potato. I know potatoes often get a bad rap (potatoes are high in calories, potatoes will make you fat, potatoes are nutritionally-void), but I’m hoping this post will change your mind about them. I know I definitely learned a few things!

Things You Might Not Know About Potatoes

Potatoes are grown commercially in 36 states, but they can be grown just about anywhere. They’re a hearty crop!

The U.S. produces 39.7 billion pounds of potatoes each year””that’s 1,020,600 acres!

The average American consumes 110 pounds of potatoes each year.

There are 4,000 potato varieties worldwide– though only a small fraction is commercialization. In the U.S., about 100 varieties are sold. All of these varieties fit into five potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, and specialty (including blue/purple, fingerling, and petite). Russet is the most popular.

A medium 5.3-ounce potato (with skin):

• Has 110 calories
• Has nearly half your Daily Value of vitamin C (45%)
• Is one of the best sources of potassium (614 mg) and fiber (2 g) in the produce section.
• Is naturally fat-free and sodium-free

A potato has more potassium than a banana!

Sweet potatoes are all the rage right now, but if you do a side-by-side comparison, white potatoes deliver a similar nutrient punch:

Only about 20% of the nutrients are in the skin of the potato, so if you decide to peel it, you’re still getting quite a lot. The one nutrient that you will lose is fiber.

Interesting stuff, right?

After the presentation, it was time for lunch. It was a good thing too because all of that potato talk made me hungry!

On the menu: mixed green salad with dressing.

Roasted Root Vegetables.

Grilled Herb Rubbed Chicken Breast with Cranberry-Mandarin Orange Relish.

Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

And Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp.

We were told the lunch recipes were from Midwest Living, so I linked to them for you. I really loved the Roasted Root Vegetables and the Ginger-Cinnamon Apple Crisp.

One more post to come: Ultimate Potato Recipe Contest!