Potato Facts

Popularity

The potato is the second most consumed food in the U.S., trailing only milk products.

Potatoes per Person

The average American eats 120 pounds of potatoes a year. That is almost 365 per person; or a spud a day.

Nutritional Information

On Serving Contains:

Calories ..................110

Protein ................... 3 grams

Carbohydrate ......... 23 grams

Fat .......................... 0 grams

Dietary Fiber .......... 2710 mg

Sodium ................... 10 mg

Potassium ............... 750 mg

Serving Size : One Medium Potato (150 grams or about 1/3 pound)

To calculate nutritional value of a 250 gram potato (a typical baking potato) multiply values above by 1.6

Percentage of U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances for a Medium Potato

Protein .................. 6 %

Vitamin C ............. 50 %

Thiamin ................ 8 %

Riboflavin ............ 2 %

Niacin .................. 10 %

Iron ....................... 8 %

Vitamin B6 ........... 15 %

Folacin (folic acid). 8 %

Phosphorus ............ 8 %

Magnesium ............ 8 %

Zinc ....................... 2 %

Copper ... ............... 8 %

Pantothenic acid .... 4 %

Iodine .................... 15 %

THE NUTRIENT-DENSE POTATO

The potato is a nutrient-dense food. It provides good nutritional return for the calories. Why is nutrient density important? Our need for calories has probably decreased by one-third since the turn of the century because we aren't as active. But in general we still need about the same amount of nutrients as we did then. This means that in order to get all the nutrition we need without consuming too many calories, we must include many nutrient dense foods like potatoes in our diets. A medium-size potato (one third pound or 150 grams) has only about 110 calories, four to five percent of the average adult's total daily intake of calories, but provides much higher percentages of our needs for many nutrients. (See 'Nutrition in a Raw Potato') For a real potato lover, a medium-size potato may not be enough of a good thing. But even a 250-gram potato (a little over one-half pound) has only about 160 calories, and the larger size gives you a real nutrition bonus. The potato gives us a wide spectrum of valuable nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, often lacking in the American diet.

The potato is a good source of vitamin C and hard to get B6 and has long been known to be a storehouse of minerals. Exact needs for all minerals are not established yet. But, for example, the potato contains valuable supplies of such essential trace elements as manganese, chromium, selenium and molybdenum.

LOW SODIUM HIGH POTASSIUM POTATO

One current nutritional goal is to reduce the amount of sodium consumed. While research is not complete, it indicates that a typical potato provides less than 1 0 mg. of sodium - compared to a typical daily intake of more than 4,000 mg. On the other hand, many Americans need to be concerned about adequate supplies of potassium. Here again, it appears that for the typical potato-eating American, the potato supplies about 20 percent of the daily potassium needs.

FIBER

Fiber, almost entirely complex carbohydrates, has been the subject of renewed interest. Fiber is that part of the food we eat is not digested by the body but travels through and holds water, forming the bulk we need for eliminating solid waste. While official recommendations for fiber haven't been established, about six grams daily is considered desirable. Most Americans fall short of this amount. Potatoes can add to the overall fiber intake. An average serving provides about 10 percent of a desirable daily intake of fiber.

PROTEIN

Potatoes contain small amounts of protein. In fact, the protein in potatoes is among the best to be found in vegetables. So, potatoes offer a good inexpensive supplementary source of protein in menu planning.

IRON

Iron is a mineral that's hard to get in sufficient amounts and is lacking in many diets, particularly those of women, teen-age girls and young children. Although few foods contain large amounts of iron, potatoes are a very good source. When consumed on a daily basis (5 1/3 oz. average per person), potatoes furnish more iron than any other vegetable. And, whereas not all the iron content in all foods is available for body use, the iron in potatoes is highly usable by the body.

CARBOHYDRATES

The potato has been criticized for being "just a starch." There's a lot more to potatoes, of course, but the carbohydrates in potatoes are the most common form of complex carbohydrates and as such are important to a good diet. Carbohydrates are the body's primary source of fuel for energy. Experts say at least 50 percent of our daily body fuel should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are of several types. Sugars are the most basic carbohydrates, the building blocks of complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are longer chains of sugars, such as starches and fiber. Contrary to popular belief, gram for gram, carbohydrates have no more calories than protein and less than half that of fat. In fact, potatoes are virtually fat-free.

WHY THE FATTENING IMAGES

All too often the potato is guilty by allusion and association. Although the potato appears to be a bulky vegetable, it is 80 percent water, just a little less than in milk. Its association with high calorie toppings like butter, sour cream, gravy and mayonnaise dressing to name a few, puts the low calorie potato at a disadvantage. Just one tablespoon of butter will double the number of calories in a baked potato. There are many low calorie ways to prepare potatoes deliciously. Here are just a few tasty low/no calories ideas:

• Toasted sesame seeds
• Whipped butter and poppy seeds
• A spoon full of stewed tomatoes and a bit of grated cheese
• Melted butter or margarine thinned with lemon juice
• A mix of dried herbs: parsley, chives, basil, dill
• Mock sour cream (cottage cheese and lemon juice whipped in a blender)
• Chopped onion with coarsely grated black pepper
• Chive-spiked yogurt
• Salsa

ABOUT THE CALORIES

Dieting needn't mean giving up foods. Authorities are opposed to fad reducing diets that rule out whole categories of foods. These diets rob us of valuable nutrients and are often harmful to health. Low carbohydrate/high protein diets give us an overdose of fat-and may be hazardous for many people including pregnant women and those with heart and kidney disease or high blood pressure. Fad diets force us to make needless sacrifices of foods we like to eat and, perhaps above all, do nothing to teach a plan for eating for-life that will prevent recurring bouts with excess weight. The best diet is one based on a variety of nutritious foods, and the potato offers a high return of nutrients for relatively few calories.

COMPARE THE CALORIES

Many people think they know which foods are high in calories and which are low in calories. But a direct comparison between the following foods, many of which are generally included on weight control diets, may surprise you.

*Source: Values based on 'Nutrition Labeling, Tools For Its Use,' USDA Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 382. All calories rounded up to the nearest 10, as called for in FDA labeling regulations.

**Source: Value based on 'Composition of Foods,' USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 8.

***Weight before cooking.

POTATOES ARE PENNY-WISE

Potatoes are always a good buy in the supermarket. They cost just pennies per serving and provide good nutrition for the money. In fact, potatoes are one of our most economical sources of Vitamin C, vitamin B6, magnesium, folacin (folic acid), copper, potassium and iron. So potatoes are an inexpensive supplementary source of high quality vegetable protein.

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