Eat More Potatoes

I am an Idaho girl and I LOVE my potatoes.  Growing up I think we ate potatoes at least once a day with at least one meal. I absolutely love them and had a hard time when all of the experts said that they were bad for us and we needed to stay away. That low-carb craze told us that we had to stay away from potatoes because they would pack on the pounds. As a result we avoided them at all costs. But luckily, that thinking has now changed. Potatoes are actually a nutrient powerhouse, says Elisa Zied, R.D., the author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips. "They're loaded with vitamin C and potassium, and they're a good source of fiber which fills us up and helps keep cholesterol levels healthy," she explains. "Potatoes with red or purple skins also contain carotenoids and other antioxidants that fight damage from free radicals that can cause disease." In recent research, purple potatoes have also been shown to reduce blood pressure without causing weight gain.

So stop shunning those spuds and start adding them to your plate! Just remember to do so within reason. One medium potato (or a cup of diced or mashed) counts as one serving of vegetables. But remember that potatoes are starchy so make sure you round out your meal with a colorful second veggie, like broccoli or tomatoes.

What Is In Season In November

Apples
Artichokes
Avocado
Beets
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Chard
Chestnuts
Cranberries
Daikon
Fennel
Guava
Kiwi
Kumquat
Lemons
Orange
Pears
Persimmons
Pomegranate
Potato
Quince
Rutabaga
Winter Squash
Sunchoke
Turnips
Yams