There is no better way to celebrate the year of the potato than a reintroduction to correct at any misconceptions that may have developed over the years.
The potato is one of the most interesting vegetables that you can serve at dinner.
Potatoes were originally found in South America where they were cultivated in the Andes mountains many thousands of years ago. In the 16th Century they were brought to Europe where they quickly became popular. Today China, Russia and India are the world’s top producers of the potato. The potato is the second most consumed food in the United State, finding itself behind only milk products.
Although the potato has developed a bad reputation with dieters for being nothing but starch, the potato is actually is a nutrient-dense food. It provides good nutritional return for the calories. Nutrient-dense foods are very important since our need for calories has decreased as we live more sedentary lives.
Potatos are often associated with high calorie topping like sour cream and melted butter. 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:
# Chopped onion with coarsely grated black pepper
# Chive-spiked yogurt
# Salsa
Here are some fun facts about the potato:
* The potato contains around 80% water and 20% solids.
* Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing “french fries” to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1802.
* According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest potato grown was 7 pounds, 1 ounce.
* Potatoes are now grown in all 50 states in the United States and in about 125 countries around the world.
* Did you know that a medium baked potato, with the skin contains more vitamin C than 3 peaches and more fiber than a bowl of oatmeal and 2 times
more potassium than a banana?
Now you don’t only have menu ideas, but table topics for your next get together! Read more.
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