Potato Nutrition Information And Resources

Nutritional Facts about Potatoes

• The potato belongs to the Solanaceae family whose other members include tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.
• Potatoes are the number one vegetable crop in the world. Potatoes are available year-round as they are harvested somewhere every month of the year. The average American consumes 135 pounds of potato per year
• Potatoes are very good source of vitamin C, a good source of vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, vitamin A, thiamin, niacin, folate, riboflavin, calcium, zinc, copper, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, and dietary fiber 
• The potato skin is a concentrated source of dietary fiber and helps for constipation
• Potatoes should be cleaned and cut right before cooking in order to avoid the discoloration that occurs with exposure to air. If you cannot cook them immediately after cutting, place them in a bowl of cold water and a little bit of lemon juice
• Potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator, as their starch content will turn to sugar giving them an undesirable taste
• The best way to store potatoes is in a dark, cool, and dry place
• Potatoes should not be exposed to sunlight as this can cause the development of the toxic alkaloid solanine to form