Posts Tagged ‘USDA’


What is the Nutritional Information of Different Varieties of Potatoes?

Friday, September 14th, 2012

Q. For people trying to lose weight, there’s a debate about whether or not we should eat potatoes. I know potatoes are high in carbs, but I understand they are also very nutritious. Where can I find nutritional information of the different varieties of potatoes?

A. This is a great question. The USDA requires us to follow the USDA guidelines on potato nutrition, which group brown, red, yellow, and niche varieties of potatoes together, with the exception of sweet potatoes. The composition of the average potato is still about 80% water and 20% starch and nutrients. Whenever I have seen testing results on one variety of potato having more iron than another, the amount is very negligible.

This link is helpful for calculating calorie and nutrition information when preparing different types of potatoes: http://nutritiondata.self.com/

You may also find useful nutrition information on the beneficial aspects of eating potatoes at this link, which includes a potato nutrition handbook: http://www.idahopotato.com/nutrition_education

Finally, this link shows some of the sources of food analysis: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/foodent/test.htm

You can’t go wrong eating a heart-healthy Idaho potato!

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Posted in Consumer, Foodservice, Q & A

Number of Potatoes to Use When Only Given Pounds

Monday, August 8th, 2011

Q: I have noticed that a lot more recipes do not state how many potatoes are needed, they only state the number of pounds needed. How do I figure out the number of potatoes to use in my recipe when only given pounds?

A: Good question. Here are some of the reasons we are not as specific about the number of potatoes to use. In foodservice, No. 1 Idaho potatoes are packed in a 50 lb carton and the sizes (which chefs often specify) vary by approximately how many potatoes fit into a box. So, a 50 count is about one pound for each potato. No. 2 potatoes sold in foodservice can vary too, some chefs order a 10 ounce and above size, especially if doing French fries. In retail, the produce manager may stock loose potatoes which they order from the same foodservice cartons. The loose ones are often purchased by consumers that want a baked potato, so they are bigger than what you find in a 5 lb bag. A retailer often orders a 70 or 80 count potato for their displays. The bags available at the grocery store can contain multiple sizes, from 2 ½ ounce and up. And finally, the USDA specs are based on a 5.3 ounce potato, about 100 calories. On average, if fixing the recipe at home you could buy about 5 loose potatoes from the grocery store for this recipe.

Sorry I can’t be more exact.

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Posted in Foodservice, Q & A