If you eat out at fast food restaurants with the family, chances are you’re familiar with those popular fried yellow sticks – French fries. Children are probably most familiar with this version of the potato! Some say po-tay-toe while others say po-tah-toe, but what’s certain is that there’s a lot more you can do with this humble tuber. Check out these starchy FAQs below.

1. How many types of potatoes are there?

Potatoes come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and textures, and can be in different colours too. Yellow, blue or red potatoes are low in starch and are suitable for boiling, as they don’t fall apart easily. Most of the ‘local’ potatoes that you see at local markets are yellow potatoes. For baking, potatoes such as the yellow Yukon Gold or brownish Russet are suitable, as these are high in starch. This makes them very soft when they are done. Sometimes you may come across purple potatoes, which are good for all kind of dishes as they are usually "medium" in starch.

2. What are the nutrition benefits of a potato?

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel for energy, and the carbohydrates in potatoes are the most common form of complex carbohydrates.  In this sense, although the potato comes from a plant, our bodies process it more as a ‘starch’ for energy rather than as a vegetable.  An average potato that weights about 140-150g contains about 30g of carbohydrate. THis would supply about 15% of your carbohydrate needs, considering that a healthy adult should eat between 200-250 grams of carbohydrate per day. However, potatoes are also a source of some essential vitamins and minerals. An average potato can contain:
- 45% of the daily value for vitamin C
- 620 mg potassium, which is similar to bananas, spinach and broccoli
- trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron and zinc