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  • The Healthy Potato: The Good News May Surprise You

    Powerful Popularity. Fresh New Forms. Natural Nutrition.

    Why do potatoes remain the #1 side dish in foodservice year after year? Three reasons. They’re a familiar, versatile vegetable that can stand up to today’s big flavors and eye-catching presentations. They’re available in all kinds of exciting new types. And they have a remarkable nutrition story to tell.

    Your customers love potatoes, and they want health, variety and novelty. Now, they can have it all. These breakthrough ideas from some of today’s top menu innovators can show you how.

     

    The more you know about potatoes' remarkable health story, the more you can give your customers permission to enjoy them in lighter presentations that deliver big-time satisfaction, bold flavor appeal and outstanding nutrition.

    Let's start with the simple fact that potatoes are a vegetable—which means they can help you help your customers get to the 2 to 4 cups of vegetables a day recommended by current guidelines.

    Now consider that a medium-sized potato (5.3 ounces) has just 110 calories, no fat or cholesterol, and contains protein.

    The "fully loaded" potato—packed with essential vitamins and nutrients

    A single serving of potatoes provides:

    • 45% Daily Value (DV) of Vitamin C, or as much as you'll find in a tomato. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that keeps the immune system healthy.

    • 18% DV of potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure. In fact, with the skin on, potatoes are the highest in potassium among the 20 top-selling fruits and vegetables.

    • 2 grams of fiber (with the skin on), 8% of the recommended daily value.

    • Complex carbohydrates, which are vital to health, because they are required fuel for the brain and the preferred fuel for muscles.

    Add flavor, not fat

    The key to healthy potato menu innovations is keeping a light touch. On their own, potatoes are lean and healthful. By adding light yet flavorful seasonings, from wasabi and chiles to salsa, soy sauce, pesto, olive oil and herbs, you—and your customers—can have it all: better-for-you menu items with the "wow" of today's most exciting flavors. 

    Healthy potato tips

    • Replace some or all of the butter in traditional mashed potatoes with olive oil or broth.
    • Mash potatoes in their jackets, since many nutrients lie just below the skin. You'll increase fiber, too.
    • Serve oven-baked "skinny fries" made with mono-unsaturated cooking oil spray.
    • Offer healthful, low-fat toppings with baked or roasted potatoes, such as salsa, low-fat mayo, vinaigrette or low-fat yogurt flavored with herbs.
    • Use fresh-pureed, leftover mashed or today's remarkably versatile dehydrated potatoes to thicken soups and sauces— you'll get creamy richness without the fat.
    Want more information about potatoes, nutrition and menu innovation? Visit www.potatogoodness.com.

    Download the Potato Nutrition Handbook (2.19 MB)

    Download the "Potatoes: More Fresh Ideas for Menu Innovation" brochure (2.5 MB)