Vegetable Eating

The once-thought-of lowly potato, food for the masses, is now second most consumed food in the U.S.A., trailing closely behind milk and milk products. An average American consumes around 120 pounds of potatoes a year, roughly 365 pieces or a spud a day. But are potatoes considered to be a vegetable?

Highly-prized for its versatility, this tuber can be boiled, broiled, mashed, steamed and more popularly fried. It has the ability to take on the flavor of any dish it is added to and is a powerhouse source of vitamin C, providing a person 45% of his recommended daily allowance. Its potassium content, at 260 milligrams is higher than that of a banana. Aside from that, it also provides the eater with other minerals such as thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc. And what is best is that as well as it being fat- and cholesterol-free, it is an excellent source of fiber with the skin on. Even with all that contribution to the consumer, still it is being questioned if the potatoes are considered to be a vegetable.

Many people have debated on that statement for the longest time. Some argue that it is a fruit since the potato plant does bear a cherry-like fruit that is not in any manner or form edible. Some argue that the potato is an herb while others lump it in with rice and bread. A Potato is an erect South American herb (Solanum tuberosum) of the nightshade family widely cultivated for its edible starchy tuber. Miss Webster’s definition of a vegetable brings us to a usually herbaceous plant (as the cabbage, bean, or potato) grown for an edible part that is usually eaten as part of a meal; also : such an edible part. And with that definition as well as all the vegetable-like nutrition a person derives from potatoes, are potatoes considered to be a vegetable? Most definitely!