There’s a misconception that it’s expensive to eat healthily. But those of us who make our own baby food know that buying fresh produce to create meals is not only healthier than buying commercial baby food, it’s also MUCH cheaper!
All hail the humble spud
One of the cheapest vegetables around is the white potato, but just because it’s low in price doesn’t mean it’s low in nutritional quality.
Research presented at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo this week revealed that potatoes are one of the best sources of nutrition in terms of value.
After merging nutrition information and consumption data from various sources, lead researcher Dr. Adam Drewnowski found that potatoes are the lowest cost source of dietary potassium… often available for half the price of most other vegetables.
Potassium is an important nutrient, needed by the body to maintain the proper function of the heart, nerves, muscles, kidneys and digestive system. Yet the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans lists it as a ‘nutrient of concern’, because many Americans are not consuming enough.
So making sure your family receives a diet rich in potassium is important – and serving potatoes is one of the cheapest ways of doing so!
Dr. Adam Drewnowski says:
“Potatoes deserve credit for contributing to higher diet quality and increasing vegetable consumption. Potatoes also play an important role in providing affordable nutrition to Americans. You CAN afford to meet key dietary guidelines IF you include potatoes in your diet.”
His study was funded by the US Potato Board, which obviously has a vested interest in getting us all to eat more potatoes – yet the fact remains that potatoes ARE a great source of nutrition, offering plenty of vitamin C in addition to potassium levels that rival those of the banana.
Cooking potatoes for baby
Before you rush off to puree a potato for your baby, please do visit our ‘Potato Baby Food’ section!
Not only will you discover why we DON’T actually recommend pureeing white potatoes, you’ll also find some fantastic and flavorful ways we DO suggest preparing them, to help ensure your little one becomes a spud-lover for life!