#NationalPotatoDay
This year, Bord Bia marks National Potato Day 2015 on Friday, 2nd October, an annual celebration which heroes the countless health benefits of Ireland's favourite vegetable.
Enduringly popular, research proves potatoes are a decisive victor over rival carbohydrates for the Irish, with over two-thirds (69%) preferring the spud with their dinner rather than rice (14%), pasta (13%) and noodles (3%), with 59% agreeing that taste is a key factor.
And if anyone was in doubt that the potato truly is an astronomical star among vegetables, they need look no further than the new Hollywood blockbuster, "The Martian", also launching this week. In the film, Matt Damon plays a stranded astronaut on Mars, and figuring out how to grow nutritious potatoes is the key to his survival.
Thankfully Irish families don't have to travel to Mars for their potato fix, and with over 300,000 tonnes of potatoes grown in Ireland every year, they can easily be locally sourced, arriving fresh on your table from your area. Providing energy for generations of Irish families, the potato is also a naturally fat-free vegetable, and an ideal source of carbohydrate, dietary fibre and other essential nutrients.
Speaking on this year's annual celebration, Lorcan Bourke of Bord Bia says, "With people becoming more aware of the benefits of embracing natural foods, I think it's important to highlight what an exemplary food the potato is. It's a completely natural source of energy and provides three times more potassium than a banana, and also a significant amount of vitamin C. It's also incredibly flexible in terms of the dishes you can create with it."
Not only is the potato a great addition to many family favourite meals, Bord Bia are also encouraging Irish people to consider the potato as ‘More than a Bit on the Side', as part of a wider EU and potato industry funded promotional campaign.
The ‘More than a Bit on the Side' campaign highlights the excellent benefits of using the potato as the star ingredient in many family meals, and www.potato.ie provides top new recipes for potato-based meals.
Padraic Og Gallagher, Owner and Chef at Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar, has also endorsed the campaign. "The Irish potato is a champion food," he says, "It's embraced in every cuisine and I'd encourage Irish families to use it in modern dishes such as Italian gnocchi and Thai curries, as well as in light meals like omelettes and salads. It's a quick and easy way to give your family a great nutritional boost."
Fiann Ó Nualláin, bestselling author of the Holistic Gardener, is a huge advocate of eating for health, and sings the praises of the potato. "For me, the potato is the king of the superfoods. It's more than the sum of its parts – beyond the natural energy it provides, it's a home-grown, nutrient-dense wonder food, full of fibre and low in salt and sugar. And with tonnes of potatoes grown on home soil, I'd encourage all Irish people to choose this superfood over any other alternatives".
National Potato Day 2015 is an annual celebration by Bord Bia highlighting the natural goodness of potatoes and their key place in contemporary cuisine. This year's celebration also sees the re-launch of www.potato.ie with many healthy potato recipes, as part of the wider EU and potato industry funded ‘More than a Bit on the Side' promotional campaign.
Did you know…?
- When choosing a carbohydrate source, potato comes out on top – it has less fat than pasta, twice the fibre of brown rice, and works out cheaper on a kilo by kilo comparison!
- The UN heralds the potato as a ‘supercrop – it's faster growing, needs less land and water and can thrive in worse growing conditions than any other major crop – making it a great sustainable food source
- Preparing potatoes is quicker than you think – 2/3 minutes in the microwave for smaller spuds, or 8/9 minute for larger ones usually does the trick!
- The world's biggest potato was grown in Germany in 1997 weighing in at 3.2kg – the same weight as a small dog
- Potatoes were often eaten aboard Spanish sailing ships to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C