An article in the February 2008 edition of The Economist began:

“It is the world’s fourth-most-important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice. It provides more calories, more quickly, using less land and in a wider range of climates than any other plant. It is, of course, the potato.” (emphasis added)

Another article in the same magazine explained:

“The key to the potato’s value lies in its high yield and its almost perfect balance of nutrients. Potatoes can produce more energy per unit area per day than any other crop, and it is possible (though tedious) to subsist on a diet of spuds and very little else.” (emphasis added)

Now, a man is proving just how nutritious these little tubers are. He’s subsisting on a diet of pure spuds:

“Hi, I’m Chris Voigt, and I’m eating 20 Potatoes a day, for 60 days straight.
I’m the Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission. In an effort to remind the public about the nutritional value of potatoes, I am going on a diet consisting of ONLY POTATOES, nothing else. No toppings, no chili, no sour cream, no cheese, no gravy, just potatoes and maybe some seasonings or herbs and a little oil for some of the cooking. I will be on this “potato only” diet for 60 days straight, starting October 1st and ending November 29th. I want to show the world that the potato is so healthy, that you could live off them alone for an extended period of time, without any negative impact to your health. And who knows, maybe it will make me healthier by lowering my blood pressure and cholesterol?”

Jack Norris commented on Voigt’s successes so far:

“After 30 days Voigt’s health markers changed drastically:
Weight – 197 to 189 lbs
Total cholesterol – 214 to 162 mg/dl
HDL (good) – 45 to 46 mg/dl
Triglycerides – 135 to 100 mg/dl
Blood Glucose – 104 to 92 mg/dl”

“It only takes 11 potatoes to meet the RDA for all amino acids, and 13 to meet the RDA for protein (calculated using a white, baked potato and with a 10% buffer for vegetable protein).”

Granted, you will likely lose weight and may even see improvements in your blood serum cholesterol and glucose if you consume fewer calories than you burn regardless of the type of food you eat. You could eat Twinkies, for example, as Norris reminds us. However, potatoes have the following exceptional benefits over many other foods:

• Potatoes are cheap
• Potatoes are plentiful
• Potatoes could help feed the world
• Potatoes have sustained people through war and famine
• Potatoes are exceptionally versatile

Speaking of versatility, here are some vegan potato recipes:

• Potato salad recipes >>
• A variety of potato recipes >>
• “Cheesy” Potato Casserole >>
• Search for more with the vegan recipe search >>

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Sections: Vegan Food
Topics: 20 potatoes a day, Chris Voigt, diet, feed the people, food scarcity, health, hunger, nutrition, potato, Potato Commission, Vegan, weight loss