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The Farm Fresh Direct Blog is dedicated to sharing news from the field, great potato information, ideas about food, farming in America and any other interesting dirt we dig up. We aim to be seriously addictive.
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5 Reasons Potatoes Are Good For Your Heart
February is not only Potato Lovers Month — it’s also American Heart Month! Potatoes contain many wonderful ingredients that make them an essential part of a balanced diet, and many of them also help you maintain good heart health. To celebrate this special month, we’re sharing five reasons potatoes help your heart stay healthy.
1) Potatoes are cholesterol-free and have zero saturated fat
According to the 2010 Dietary guidelines by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services, potatoes have no cholesterol or saturated fat. While many factors affect heart disease, diets low in cholesterol and saturated fat may reduce its risk.
2) Potatoes are a good source of potassium and low in sodium
Diets containing foods that include potassium and are low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Potatoes with skin are loaded with potassium — more than bananas, spinach or broccoli — and are naturally sodium free.
3) Potatoes are a good source of fiber
A medium potato with skin contributes 2 grams of fiber, which provides 8% of the daily value per serving. Dietary fiber has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including improving blood lipid levels, regulating blood glucose, and increasing satiety (makes you feel full longer), which may help with weight loss.
4) Potatoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C
Vitamin C protects arteries from the damaging effects of cholesterol. Potatoes rank in the top 5 of dietary sources of vitamin C for Americans, and provide 45% of the daily value.
5) Potatoes are a good source of Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 is required for the synthesis of hemoglobin and essential component of red blood cells. It also helps reduce levels of homocysteine, of which high levels have been implicated in heart disease and stroke.
Pressed for time? Heart-healthy eating expert Christine Palumbo, RD explains how potatoes help with heart health in less than a minute.
What better reason to stock up on potatoes than to keep a healthy heart? You can even skip the trip to the grocery store — order PotatOHs in our online shop and we’ll ship them right to your door.
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Colorful and Flavorful Potato Recipes for Valentine’s Day
It’s no coincidence Valentine’s Day falls in February, also Potato Lovers Month — a fun, delicious and playful potato dish is a perfect way to say “I Love You.” If you’re looking for a recipe that will surprise your Valentine, look no further! Here are three recipes full of color and flavor bound to put a smile on your sweetheart’s face this Valentine’s Day.
Fiesta Potato Smashers
Add a bit of spice to your dinner with these smashers that mix potatoes with sweet peppers, cilantro, sour cream or greek yogurt, and a hint of chili powder. You can use any potatoes you like, and you can get creative with yellow and red potatoes, or Express Bake russets, sweets or fingerling Jubileez. They’re easy to make (smash the potatoes together for added fun!), low on calories (only 50), and big on flavor.
Grilled Pesto Potato Salad
This delicious twist on potato salad saves you time by cooking potatoes in the microwave and is a flavor experience your tastebuds won’t forget. The balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, pepper, basil, parmesan cheese and pine nuts on red potatoes are a perfect mix that will keep you coming back for more after the first bite. Great for Spring or Summer, you can make it for Valentine’s Day and again when the weather gets warmer.
Potatoes Florentine
With leeks, spinach, roasted bell peppers, fresh basil, parmesan cheese and a hint of butter and milk, these potatoes florentine are a feast for the eyes, as well as your tastebuds.
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Winners of the Potato Lovers Month Giveaway
February is Potato Lovers Month, and on Wednesday we invited you to celebrate by telling us why you love potatoes.
21 Potato Lovers posted their thoughtful answers in the comments, and the time has come to announce the winners! We selected 5 people at random, and you can read their posts below:
“My Mama used to make mashed-potatoes, or creamed-potatoes as I called them back then, every single day for me! I loved them then and I love them all these many years later! They are my probably my most favorite food! I used to put ketchup in them, so I had pink potatoes every day and I thought that was wonderful!”
Jamie Mabry
“I feel like a version of Forrest Gump about potatoes, you can bake ‘em, boil ‘em, fry ‘em, put them in soup, chowder, casseroles, mash ‘em… they are so versatile, inexpensive and filling!”
Cheri
“Potatoes are my favorites because they are so versatile. You can use them for any meal use, as a dessert such as Potato Candy, as a snack, and sweet potatoes are really good for you. They also make pretty plants in your garden before you dig them and the sweet potato vine is a beautiful hanging plant.”
Maureen
“Having a large family…potatoes are very inexpensive. We eat them every day in many ways…with a bonus…they are good for you!”
Dave Janosco
“I love potatoes because I had a heart attack back on January 16th and they are a very good addition to my healthy diet program…and they taste good too!”
Terry Heebner
Winners will be receiving a variety pack of Express Bake PotatOHs shipped right to their doorstep. Check your inbox — we’ll be contacting you to arrange shipping faster than it takes for a PotatOH to cook in the microwave!
Thanks to everyone who participated and keep an eye out for our next giveaway – you could win some of our delicious microwave potatoes!
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February is Potato Lovers Month! Celebrate with PotatOH (Giveaway)
February is one of our favorite times of the year, because we get to celebrate that healthy, round little vegetable that’s so good for us and we love to eat.
When you stop to think about it, potatoes give us a whole lotta love. They:
- Are low in calories, with only 110 in a medium-sized spud
- Are fat, cholesterol and sodium-free, so they’re easy on your heart and on your weight
- Are full of fiber, helping keep us fuller longer
- Are gluten-free, providing healthy, natural and satisfying meals for people with gluten sensitivity
- Are can be made almost any way you can imagine, and you can bake ‘em, fry ‘em, grill ‘em, microwave ‘em, smash ‘em, steam ‘em and…well, you get the point!
There are many reasons to love potatoes, and we want to hear yours! Celebrate Potato Llovers Month by telling us why YOU love potatoes.
5 lucky potato lovers will receive a FREE variety pack of Express Bake PotatOHs (2 russets, 2 sweet potatoes, and a tray pack of fingerling jubileez)!
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and include your email address so we can contact you. We love all of our fans, but we ship fresh potatoes and like to get them to your doorstep quick, so only potato lovers in the U.S. are eligible. Winners will be announced on Friday, February 10, so check our blog for updates!
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Touchdown! Potato Recipes for the Big Game
Having friends and family over for the big game on Sunday and need some ideas for appetizers and snacks? We’ve got you covered. These delicious potato recipes are full of flavor and will keep your guests happy without blitzing them with calories. Put these in the game and go for the big win!
We often take the ultra-low-fat potato and fry it into nutritional oblivion, but it doesn’t have to be that way. A low-fat makeover of everyone’s favorite football party spud snack, these cheesy potato skins keep things light and are full of flavor, thanks to healthy portions of paprika and parmessan cheese. Add some cayenne pepper and these skins will pack a little kick that sneaks up on you when you least expect it. Great as an appetizer or side.
With black beans, green chiles tomatoes, olives, onions and shredded cheese, these colorful and delicious spud-infused nachos pack a lot of flavor without the extra calories. Eat them just like that, or add salsa, guacamole and sour cream for extra flavor. Either way, you can’t go wrong! Just be careful when you put them out — your guests might rush before you’re ready and you’ll have to give offenders a 5-yard penalty.
This twist on buffalo chicken wings lets you get your spicy on without the extra fat and calories. Start with potatoes and replace the fried wings with shredded chicken breast. Top them off with fresh tomatoes and onions. Filled with protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, B6, folate, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, and a good source of thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, calcium, iron, zinc, and copper.
Cheesy Broccoli Baked Potatoes
Cook Express Bake PotatOHs in the microwave and top them off with sharp cheddar and broccoli for a quick and easy crowd-pleasing favorite. Add a bit of salt for extra taste, and some cayenne pepper for a little kick. Serve them up with a mixed green salad with chive dressing and make it a meal!
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Sweet Potatoes: Exercise Superfood
Whether you’re a weekend warrior, athlete or bodybuilder, you need to eat foods that nourish you, are sources of lasting energy, and help with muscle recovery long after your workout is over. Sweet potatoes are a superfood that can do just that, and one that no exercise diet is complete without.Below are three ways that sweet potatoes help your body stay in top shape so you can accomplish your fitness goals.
Energy
Muscles require carbohydrates for energy, and sweet potatoes are a great source, with a medium-sized one providing 24g.
In addition, sweet potatoes provide a healthy dose of complex carbohydrates, which take longer to be digested and help supply the body with energy over a longer period of time. Unlike simple carbohydrates — which break down fast into glucose for quick energy, and turn into fat stores that can cause weight gain when unused — complex carbohydrates break down into glycogen and are stored in the liver or muscles to be used as fuel for exercise.
They are also a good source of dietary fiber, which has a gradual, steadying effect on blood sugar, making sweet potatoes a sustained source of energy.
Muscle and Bone Function
With over 300mg in a medium-sized one, sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, which is an electrolyte that plays a key part in skeletal and smooth muscle contraction, and makes it crucial for proper digestive and muscle function.
Muscle Recovery
Sweet potatoes are highly packed with calcium, and iron, and are high in beta carotene, which, together with other essential antioxidants like vitamins A, C and E, helps with protect cells and muscles recover and regenerate.
In fact, sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A than carrots, and are the best natural source for beta carotene, as they provide more than any other fruit or vegetable.
References
Carbohydrates Burned During Exercises
Sweet Potato Benefits for Bodybuilders
Top Athlete Nutrition Foods for Greater Performance and Energy Maximization
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Sweet Potatoes: An Essential Part of Detox Plans
Were there times last year that you ate heavy and you wish you hadn’t? Have you been turning to comfort foods to cope with cold and long winter days, and now you’re not feeling so great? You may need to cleanse your system to flush out all of the bad stuff and get your body back to a good place through detoxification, and sweet potatoes can help.
What is Detox?
Detox is a process to eliminate toxins in the body, cleanse organs and replenish your system with healthy nutrients. This is accomplished by eating pure and natural foods that help clean the kidneys, intestines, lymph, liver and skin, and avoiding any foods that can set back or stop the process.
Choosing a Detox Plan
There are many ways to detox your body by adjusting your diet, and each plan varies in duration and the amount of food to consume. No matter how you detox, always begin by eliminating incoming toxins. Avoid alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, processed foods and even stress to give your body its best chance at a successful cleanse.
For more information and finding which detox plan is right for you, check out this detox answers and solutions guide. Whichever way you choose, always consult your doctor before beginning any detox plan.
Sweet Potato Health Benefits
It is widely known that sweet potatoes are nutritional all-stars. Below are some of the many natural ingredients found in significant levels in sweet potatoes that offer many health benefits and make an essential part of a detox plan.
Antioxidants: boost your immune system and help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease
Beta-Carotene / Vitamin A: sweet potatoes have four times the recommended daily intake of Beta-Carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A, and helps with immunity, bone development, vision and fighting many types of cancer.
Complex Carbohydrates: take longer to be digested, helping supply the body with energy over a longer period of time
Dietary Fiber: improves cholesterol levels, regulates blood glucose, and keeps your body full longer
Low Calorie: with only 90-140 with skin on, sweet potatoes are easy on the calories
Manganese: facilitates metabolism, helps keep bones strong and healthy, regulates blood sugar levels, and promote optimal function of the thyroid
Potassium: diets high in potassium help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke
Vitamin C: helps with fighting infections, iron absorption, healing wounds, reducing inflammation and supporting the body’s immune system
Sweet Potato Detox Recipes
When putting together your detox plan, consider including these cleansing and nourishing healthy sweet potato recipes.
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili
This richly-colored, flavorful chili is the perfect meal for winter months. Immune-boosting garlic and onion, along with red pepper and lime, combine with black beans and sweet potatoes to make one very satisfying one-pot meal.
Pair sweet potatoes with whatever vegetables you like, top it off with a tasty tahini-based sauce that uses metabolic-enhancing spices and you have a delicious and satisfying dinner that will keep things light on a simple detox diet plan.
Sweet Potato Mash with Chinese Broccoli and Ginger Dressing
A delicious vegan dish, with a good dose of antioxidants plus anti-inflammatory benefits from the ginger dressing. Particularly rich in Vitamin A, this dish will nourish the eyes and skin.
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3 Natural Ways Potatoes Help Make Your Body Healthy and Happy
If you are aiming to eat well and lose weight in the new year, and thinking about cutting potatoes out of your diet, STOP! You’ll be missing out on the many superfood health benefits that make potatoes an essential part of a healthy diet and contribute to a weight loss plan.
Potatoes can have lasting and positive effects on your health and well-being. Here are three ways that naturally nutritious and delicious potatoes help your body stay healthy, happy and satisfied.
Potatoes help keep your immune system healthy
Vitamin C helps protect your body from infection by keeping your immune system healthy, and helps heal cuts and wounds (perfect if you’re ever a klutz while exercising at home or at the gym). Contributing a whopping 45% of your daily value, potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C.
Also, if you experience chronic illness or fatigue due to sensitivity to gluten, you’ll be glad to know that potatoes are naturally gluten-free!
Potatoes may reduce the risk of high blood pressure
According to the 2010 Dietary guidelines by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services, diets containing foods that are a good source of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
Potatoes are loaded with potassium — more than bananas, spinach or broccoli — and are naturally sodium free.
Potatoes are a great part of a healthy weight loss plan
It’s calories that count, not just eliminating foods. Maintaining a good, healthy weight requires burning more calories than you’re taking in. Luckily, one medium-sized (5.3 oz) potato has just 110 calories that are a breeze to burn off. Also, potatoes are 100% fat-free and have zero cholesterol, making them a great meal that will fill you up, not out.
Potatoes also help you feel full longer and eat less. Studies show that potatoes are one of the most filling foods available and stave off hunger better than other common sides, such as pasta, rice and bread.
One wholesome, satisfying potato contributes 2 grams of fiber to the diet, 8% of the recommended daily value. Dietary fiber has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including improving blood lipid levels, regulating blood glucose, and increasing satiety (makes you feel full longer), which may help with weight loss.
Lastly, potatoes contribute 10% of your daily value of vitamin B6, which plays important roles in carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and turning food into energy.
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Potatoes: making gluten-free holidays great
‘Tis the season for tempting cookies, cakes and baked goods to be everywhere you look. So, whether you’re one of the estimated 18 million Americans with a gluten sensitivity or you’re steering clear of it for other reasons, it may take some extra will-power to remain gloriously gluten-free all holiday long.As you probably know, potatoes are naturally gluten-free. In fact, they’re a veritable jackpot of affordable, endless and easy gluten-free possibilities. You can use them everywhere—appetizers, entrées and even dessert. To ensure gluten-free goodness, don’t forget to read the labels on all the other ingredients. We’ve found gluten has a habit of popping up in unlikely places—even some candy canes are laced with it.
It’s our hope a big bag of potatoes and a few great recipes will go a long way in helping you happily stick to your holiday eating plans. For us, knowing what we can and will devour helps make it easier to go without the ginger bread and forgo the fruitcake. Cheers!
Appetizer
Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites
We were excited to find this treasure: bacon-wrapped potatoes. Special enough for a party, but made with everyday ingredients. Yum!
(Note: this recipe uses sour cream, and not all brands are gluten-free – check nutrition labels when shopping for ingredients)
Soup
Often, soups are thickened using flour: no good for gluten-free. Here are two guest-impressing, palette-pleasing potato-based soups.
Dessert
A dessert like this needs no introduction. It’s just that good. Enjoy!
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Potatoes: celebrated in holidays around the world
Nearly ever culture across the globe has a celebration during the cold, short days of winter. These celebrations usually involve uniting family and friends, and feasting on lots of amazing food. No matter where the winter season finds you, you’ll usually find potatoes there, too.
We love trying new things, so here’s a quick round up of favorite potato dishes made around the world at holiday time.
In Russia, Christmas was banned during the Soviet era. So Russians adapted their New Year’s celebration to include many Christmas traditions. They decorate a New Year’s Tree, exchange presents, expect a visit from Grandfather Frost, and dig in to lots of traditional dishes. Mimosa Salad is one traditional dish that includes potatoes. Check it out.
In Scotland, the big winter holiday is Hogmanay—a tradition most likely inherited from the Vikings. Celebrated on December 31, the party can go on into the first couple days of January and includes customs like “first-footings” and dishes like Rumbledethumps, a delicious potato, cabbage and onion creation. Here’s a recipe to try.
Jewish people around the world celebrate Hanukkah with an absolutely delicious potato dish you’ve probably tried: latkes (in Yiddish) or livivot (in Hebrew.) Because Hanukkah is a celebration of oil—specifically the oil that burned for eight days in the holy Temple, latkes (a sort of fried potato pancake) help remind us of the miracle of oil. Here’s a great recipe that recently came to our attention.
Not quite a holiday meal, but worth checking out anyway is nikujaga, a traditional Japanese winter comfort food. It’s exactly the kind of dish your mom would serve on a cold Sunday night. Styled after British beef stew, it’s made from steak, potatoes and vegetables in a soy sauce. Learn how to make it here.
Next time you want to add a new dish to your holiday spread, try one of these!