Throughout America, potatoes are the most popular vegetable, even being ahead of other well known vegetables such as lettuce and onions. The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids. The average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes per year while Germans eat about twice as much.
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.
Like oranges, potatoes are very high in vitamin C. The fact is, one medium potato contains 45% of the vitamin C that’s recommended for good health. Potatoes also contain more potassium than a banana.
A potato is naturally low in calories and contains no fat or sodium. Potatoes are also a good source of fiber, which can help you lose weight by keeping you full longer. Fiber can help prevent heart disease by keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check. Potatoes are also full of antioxidants that work to prevent diseases and vitamins that help your body function properly. The skins of the potatoes provide a helpful dose of iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several B vitamins.
You can prepare potatoes by boiling them, steaming them, or even roasting them. 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.
From mashed potatoes to baked potatoes, a potato is something we all know and love. They serve many different tasty foods, and they provide our bodies with plenty of healthful benefits. We all eat potatoes, some of us even grow our own. Whether you grow your on or buy them, the potato is the one vegetable that makes everything just a little bit better.
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