Potatoes Are Nutritious & Delicious

Potatoes sometimes get a bad reputation for not being a healthy vegetables. To the contrary potatoes are loaded with nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber.  It is what we often do to potatoes (fry them, load them, etc.) that steal from their nutrient profile.  To get the most nutrient bang for your buck keep the potato peel on.  By eating the entire potato you will be getting all the nutrients it has to offer.

There are over 100 varieties of potatoes sold in the United States.  Some of the most common types are russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerlings, and petite.  White potatoes are a very versatile and inexpensive vegetable.  Follow this link to learn how to best select, store, and prepare white potatoes.

Sweet potatoes although very similar in nutrient content to white potatoes are in a class of their own.  Sweet potatoes have drastically more vitamin A than white potatoes. Sweet potatoes also have one more gram of fiber, less calories, and more sugar per serving than white potatoes.  It is interesting to note that sweet potatoes are not the same as yams.  Yams are from a different plant family. Grocery store yams are probably not real yams but sweet potatoes.  Real yams are typically white inside and not orange.  Follow this link to learn how to best select, store and prepare sweet potatoes.  

Try these delicious recipes submitted by follow Nebraska Extension Nutrition Know How bloggers Nancy Urbanec and Audra Losey:
Grilled Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage and Caramelized Onions