The more I research about potatoes, the more I’m impressed.  For the longest time, I’ve been looking for a cheap but good alternative to rice and until recently, I didn’t know that potatoes fit the bill.  Here are some of the things that I discovered about this crop.

I think the fact that surprised me the most about potatoes is how much nutrients they contain compared to other staples that we are familiar with like white rice and corn.  A serving size of potato (148 g) contains 26 g of carbohydrates and only 110 calories!

Aside from the good carbs, potatoes are also an excellent source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium, iron and magnesium.  They also have zero fat, sodium and gluten!  Amazing, right?

Of course, how healthy and nutritious a food will be would depend on its preparation and the rest of the ingredients that you mix it with.

Traditionally, we Filipinos are no stranger to potatoes as we have numerous dishes that incorporate it like Afritada, Mechado, and some versions of Adobo, but with the rise of fast food joints it became more popular as Fries due to convenience.

I don’t think there’s any argument that Fries are much easier to eat while on the move than rice or pasta.  And with that said, there’s more to potatoes than the usual Fries and I found a lot of great recipes at potatogoodness.com/potato-recipes.  There’s probably more than enough there to give you a unique dish every day for at least a year!

If you’re the type who is selective with your ingredients, US potatoes are now available in the Philippines and are available as fresh, frozen, or dehydrated potatoes.  For me though, US dehy potatoes are the most interesting.  They come in a variety of forms like granules, flakes, shreds, dices, slices, etc. so there’s no need for washing or peeling.  And being dehydrated, they have an inherently long shelf life (up to two years!) and occupies much less space in storage.  In fact, a kilogram of US dehy rehydrates to as much as five kilograms!

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