There's Room on Your PLATE for Idaho® Potatoes!
The USDA's New Icon, MyPlate, Recommends Making Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables
EAGLE, ID, June 20, 2011—Potatoes are one of the many healthy vegetable options consumers should consider the next time they prepare their plate according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This recommendation is included in the USDA’s new MyPlate, a simple but powerful icon designed to help people make healthy eating choices.
“MyPlate is an excellent tool that helps remind Americans of the variety of foods they need to eat everyday in order to live a healthy lifestyle,” said Frank Muir, President and CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “I was very pleased to see potatoes on the list of recommended vegetables. Potatoes are one of the most nutritious and versatile foods available. They can be prepared as the main dish or as a healthy side and either way, they can easily help consumers meet their daily requirements of potassium, Vitamin C and fiber.”
The USDA recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, like nutritious Idaho® potatoes. (Image source: www.choosemyplate.gov)
Idaho® potatoes provide a nutritional building block for any meal:
Convenient Portion Control
- A medium-sized potato has only 110 calories and packs in 3 grams of fiber per serving, which can help people feel full and manage their body weight.
Heart-Healthy
- Idaho® potatoes have been certified by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food. They are naturally fat-, cholesterol- and sodium-free.
Loaded with Important Vitamins and Nutrients
- Fiber: Aids in digestion; potatoes with the skin left on is a great source of fiber.
- Potassium: Lowers blood pressure and protects against heart disease; potassium is found in potatoes.
- Vitamin C: Boosts the immune system and is plentiful in potatoes.
- Complex carbohydrates: Provides energy; potatoes are packed with complex carbs.
The IPC has a rich database of more than 700 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and all the eating occasions in between. Some of the most popular include:
Reliable Resources
www.idahopotato.com
The IPC’s website has an array of healthy resources for Idaho® potato lovers, including a vast repertoire of recipes, nutritional information, heart-healthy, convenient cooking tips and more. The website also offers a comprehensive nutrition handbook dedicated to America’s favorite vegetable.
USDA
For more information on MyPlate and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, visit the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
About the Heart-Check Mark
The American Heart Association established the heart-check mark in 1995 to give consumers an easy, reliable system for identifying heart-healthy foods as a first step in building a sensible eating plan. Approximately 800 products that bear the heart-check mark have been screened and verified by the association to meet criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol.
To learn more about the heart-check mark, and to see a complete list of certified products and participating companies, visit heartcheckmark.org.
About the Idaho Potato Commission
The Idaho Potato Commission is a state agency that is primarily responsible for expanding the markets for Idaho-grown potatoes through advertising, promotion and research. The Commission also protects the use of the “Idaho® potato” and “Grown in Idaho®” seals, which are federally registered Certification Marks that belong to the IPC. These Marks ensure that consumers are purchasing potatoes that have been grown in the state of Idaho. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.
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