Potato Facts and Information for Teachers The Role of Potatoes in the Diet Potatoes are low in fat, provide a lot of vitamins and minerals if eaten with the skin, and are a good source of fiber. Potatoes are known as a starchy food. Starchy foods are those that mainly provide carbohydrates and should make up a third of our diet. Along with other starchy foods, potatoes play an important role in a healthy diet. Nutrition Facts Carbohydrate your main source of energy; needed for activity and growth Vitamin C to keep the skin healthy; helps heal cuts Protein helps the body grow and repair itself Fiber helps the body get rid of waste B Vitamins needed to help the body get energy from carbohydrates; helps the nervous system, heart and skin Iron helps blood carry oxygen around the body Did You Know? Potatoes have zero fat and are loaded with potassium One medium-sized potato with skin provides more Vitamin C than two apples or an average serving of peas Potatoes have more fiber than a bowl of bran flakes, three slices of whole wheat bread, or four bananas Tips for Keeping Potato Dishes Healthy Try boiling and baking potatoes instead of frying Use vegetable oil when roasting Have wedges rather than chips Make mashed potatoes with a little milk and no butter Do not add creamy sauces or butter Easy Baked Potato Wedges Ingredients: 4 large potatoes ¼ c. vegetable oil 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese 1 Tsp salt 1 Tbsp paprika ½ Tsp pepper ½ Tsp garlic powder Directions: 1. Wash potatoes and cut into wedges 2. Place potatoes (skin down) in baking dish 3. Mix vegetable oil, parmesan cheese, salt, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder together and brush onto potatoes 4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour Intro 1-1
Potato Quick Facts Good-for-you fiber Rich in Vitamin C More Potassium than bananas, spinach, and broccoli No fat, cholesterol or sodium Only 110 calories per serving Source: National Potato Council 2011 Potato Statistical Yearbook Intro 1-2
Potato History Origins of the Potato The potato, from the perennial Solanum tuberosum, is the world s fourth largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and corn. The Inca Indians in Peru were the first to cultivate potatoes around 200 B.C. In 1536 Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru, discovered the flavors of the potato, and carried them to Europe. Before the end of the Sixteenth Century, families of Basque sailors began to cultivate potatoes along the Biscay coast of northern Spain. Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in 1589 on the 40,000 acres of land near Cork. It took nearly four decades for the potato to spread to the rest of Europe. Eventually, agriculturalists in Europe found potatoes easier to grow and cultivate than other staple crops, such as wheat and oats. Most importantly, it became known that potatoes contained most of the vitamins needed for sustenance, and they could be provided to nearly 10 people for each acre of land cultivated. Potatoes in the United States Potatoes arrived in the Colonies in 1621 when the Governor of Bermuda, Nathaniel Butler, sent two large cedar chests containing potatoes and other vegetables to Governor Francis Wyatt of Virginia at Jamestown. The first permanent potato patches in North America were established in 1719, most likely near Londonderry (Derry), NH, by Scotch-Irish immigrants. From there, the crop spread across the country. Idaho, the present-day largest producer of potatoes, actually did not begin growing potatoes until 1836, when missionaries moved west in an effort to teach the native tribes to grow crops instead of relying upon hunting and gathering methods. However, it wasn t until 1872 when the Russet Burbank variety was developed, that the Idaho potato industry began to flourish. The Irish Potato Famine In the 1840s a major outbreak of potato blight, a plant disease, swept through Europe, wiping out the potato crop in many countries. The Irish working class lived largely on potatoes and when the blight reached Ireland, their main staple food disappeared. This famine left many poverty-stricken families with no choice but to struggle to survive or emigrate out of Ireland. Over the course of the famine, almost one million people died from starvation or disease. Another one million people left Ireland, mostly for Canada and the United States. Following the Irish Potato Famine, most Americans regarded the potato as food for animals rather than for humans, until an effective fungicide against potato blight was found in 1883 by French botanist, Alexander Millardet. Intro 1-3
Childrens Book List Here is a list of childrens books. These books can be used in grades K-4. Potatoes, Potatoes by Anita Lobel The Potato Book by Alan Romans Potato: A Tale from the Great Depression by Kate Lied Two Old Potatoes and Me by John Coy One Potato, Two Potato by Cynthia DeFelice Math Potatoes: Mind-Stretching Brain Food by Greg Tang Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti What s for Lunch? : Potatoes by Children s Press Brave Potatoes by Toby Speed The Potato People by Pamela Allen How does a Czar Eat Potatoes? by Anne Rose Blue Potatoes, Orange Tomatoes by Rosalind Creasy The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Sassy Monkey Smashed Potatoes and Other Thanksgiving Disasters by Carol W. Murphy Jamie O Roarke and the Big Potato by Tomie de Paola The Greatest Potatoes by Penelope Stowell Poddy s Racing Potato by Thomas Calvin Houtz Rhino, Rhino, Sweet Potato by Francine Prose Big Bob and the Thanksgiving Potatoes by Daniel Pinkwater The Miracle of the Potato Latkes by Malka Penn Pigs Love Potatoes by Deborah Stevenson Potato Soup by Phil Weinstein The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup by Terry Farish The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin Intro 1-4
Frequently-Asked Questions About Potatoes Q: Are potatoes nutritious? A: Yes! Potatoes are a low-calorie, fat- and cholesterol-free vegetable that is high in vitamin C and potassium, and is a good source of vitamin B6 and dietary fiber. Visit http://www.healthypotato. com/healtheducators/potatonutritionfacts.php for more information. Q: Are potatoes fattening? A: No! It s all those delicious toppings we use that add calories and fat. The potato contains zero fat, and a 5.3 ounce potato is only 110 calories. Q: Is it safe to eat the potato skin? A: Absolutely! In fact, it is recommended. The skin of the potato contains the majority of the potato s fiber, and many of the nutrients are located close to the skin. Wash the potato thoroughly, cut away green discoloration and/or sprouts, and enjoy your potato with the skin on. Q: What about potatoes and the Glycemic Index? A: The Glycemic Index (GI) is a system that assigns a number to foods, particularly carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and potatoes, based on their ability to increase blood glucose. The practicality of the GI of individual foods in diet planning is controversial because combinations of foods can alter the total GI of a meal. In the case of potatoes, for example, common toppings such as cheese, broccoli, butter, salsa or vinegar may lower the combined GI. After an extensive review, the American Diabetes Association concluded that for people with diabetes, the total amount of carbohydrates in meals and snacks, rather than type, determines the blood sugar (Glycemic) response. Visit http://www.uspotatoes.com/downloads/358gi.pdf for more information. Q: Is it safe to eat raw potatoes? A: Yes some consider raw potatoes a nice treat. Q: Why does the potato selection vary at grocery stores throughout the year? A: The majority of the potatoes in the U.S. are harvested between August and October, and are then shipped from storage through the spring. After three or four months in storage, potatoes can become more susceptible to bruising, greening or sprouting. Inspect your potatoes before purchasing, and make sure your produce manager knows about any defects. Q: What is the best variety of potato? A: All of them! If you are looking for a specific outcome like solid slices for scalloped potatoes, a waxy potato (red or white skinned) is recommended. If you like smooth mashed potatoes, we suggest starting with a russet potato. Intro 1-5
Frequently-Asked Questions About Potatoes Q: Can leftover potatoes be frozen? A: We don t recommend it. While cooked potatoes can be frozen, they tend to become watery upon reheating. The potato is 80% water; and when frozen, this water separates from the starch and nutrients, causing the reheated potato dish to be watery. Q: How does a potato grow? A: A potato plant is a vine that grows above ground with tubers that grow from the roots under ground. These tubers are what we call potatoes. Q: Are potatoes poisonous? A: No. The potato tuber, the part we eat, is not poisonous; however, the potato plant is toxic. Green portions on the skin of the potato are also toxic. Q: What is the green coloring on the potato skin? A: The green on the skin of a potato is the build-up of a natural chemical called Solanine which is produced by the plant to defend it against disease. It is a natural reaction to the potato being exposed to too much light. Solanine produces a bitter taste, and if eaten in large quantity, can cause illness. This is unlikely, however, because the bitter taste keeps people from eating more than a little bit. If there is a slight greening, cut away the green portions of the potato skin before cooking and eating. Q: Why do potatoes grow sprouts? A: Sprouts are a sign that the potato is trying to grow. Cut the sprouts away before cooking or eating the potato. To reduce sprouting, store potatoes in a cool, dry, dark location that is well ventilated. Q: Why do potatoes turn black or gray when cooked? A: When potatoes are stored at too cold of a temperature, they can turn black or gray when cooked. To keep this from happening, store potatoes at a temperature between 45 F and 55 F. We do not recommend storing your potatoes in the refrigerator, but if you do, letting the potato warm gradually to room temperature before cooking can reduce the discoloration. Q: Why do some potatoes have a purple center and veins? What is this, and is the potato still okay to eat? A: This discoloration in the potato flesh is due to the potato being held at too cold of a temperature. This can happen before, during, or after harvest. The potato is perfectly fine to eat. You may notice that the potato has a sweeter flavor as the cold turns starches to sugars. Q: What causes some potatoes to have a hollow center and black crust? What is this? A: This is called Hollow Heart, which is caused by a sudden change in the growth rate of the potato. This can happen if the potato plant suffers from lack of water during the growing season and then receives too much water all at once. Irrigation and the constant diligence of farmers limit this from happening. Intro 1-6
Extra Potato Activity Ideas Pollination If you are teaching pollination, why not use a potato plant as an example? Where Have My Potatoes Traveled From? Provide students with a selection of potato packaging, wrappers, or bags from local shops. Get them to look at where the potatoes have been grown and where they are packed. Provide some photocopies of the United States and world maps. Get the students to mark on their maps where their potatoes were grown, packed, and sold. Can they calculate the distance their potatoes have traveled? Potato Survey Have students find out the most popular potato dish in your class or school. They could use this information to create a graph and answer the following questions. Do most people in your class/ school like a certain potato dish? Do younger children prefer different dishes from older children? What is the least favorite dish in your class/school? Potatoes for Lunch Students could interview the kitchen staff about potatoes to find out more about the different ways they can be cooked and the dishes that can be made with them. Recipe Writing Get students to make up their own potato recipes. They could use seasonal, festive, or themed potato fillings; for example, Spring, Christmas, or Italian. Potato Printing Why not make some potato prints? Before the lesson, cut some potatoes in half and then cut different patterns and shapes into each. Give the students some paper and paint and let them create their own potato print pictures. Potatoes Around the World Find out about potatoes around the world. For example: What is the word for potato in other languages? What are the types of potatoes grown in other countries? What are the dishes and meals made with potatoes in other countries? Form No. KD101-Mar 2012 Intro 1-7