Fast Facts On Potatoes

Throughout America, potatoes are the most popular vegetable, even being ahead of other well known vegetables such as lettuce and onions. You can cook potatoes in a variety of ways, and they are included in one out of three meals eaten by almost all Americans. When they are prepared in a healthy way, a potato can be an excellent source of energy and also pack a nutritional punch. Like oranges, potatoes are very high in vitamin C. The fact is, one medium potato contains 45% of the vitamin C that's recommended for good health. Potatoes are also high in fiber and carbohydrates and contain more potassium than a banana. A potato is naturally low in calories and contains no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. The skins of the potatoes provide a helpful dose of fiber, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and several B vitamins. You can prepare potatoes by boiling them, steaming them, or even roasting them. If at all possible, you should avoid putting potatoes in the refrigerator or freezing them, as cold will turn the potato starch to sugar and cause them to turn dark when they are cooked. When you store potatoes, keep them in a cool, dark place. Too much light will cause them to turn green. You can store them in the basement if you have one, as the basement is the best place to keep potatoes. From mashed potatoes to baked potatoes, a potato is something we all know and love. They serve many different tasty foods, and they provide our bodies with plenty of healthful benefits. We all eat potatoes, some of us even grow our own. Whether you grow your on or buy them, the potato is the one vegetable that makes everything just a little bit better.

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Facts About Nutrition Labels

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The nutrition label located on each and every food item, will tell you all the information about that food. For some however, this information isn't exactly that reader friendly. Fear not, as it's actually easier than you think. Serving Size This size is based on the amount people eat. Similar food items will have similar serving sizes, thus making it easier to compare 2 foods of the same category. % Daily Value This indicates how food will fit in a 2,000 calorie diet. This will help you to understand if the food has a lot, or just a little of the important nutrients. The middle section The nutrients you'll find listed in the middle section are the ones that are most important to your health. This information can help you to calculate your daily limit of fat, fiber, sodium, and other nutrients. Vitamins & minerals The percent daily value found here is the exact same as the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamins and minerals. Now that you know what the nutrition label actually means, it'll be a lot easy to eat healthy. Eating healthy is a great thing - especially when you use the nutrition label to assist you with your food choices.

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