In a single word: potatoes. (Also known as spuds, tubers or taters.) It’s timely, as we’re just wrapping up Potato Lover’s Month, which now runs from mid-January through the end of March, according to potato marketers.
So many times, when a customer peruses the produce department, looking for a healthy, satisfying and easy-to-prepare item for their families that is easy on the food budget, the obvious item that comes to mind is, well, bananas.
Banana value always comes to mind first because, let’s face it, it’s a ready-made fruit that’s easy to eat in hand. It’s common and delicious, and that price hasn’t changed much in, what, over 50 years and counting? In my market area the price is a constant 59 cents per pound. Talk about value. Bananas are in everyone’s cart.
Greatest value ever, right? Or is it?
Consider the humble potato for a moment. Potatoes are nature’s greatest gift. It is by far the leading vegetable not only in the U.S. but also in the world. Ask Russia, China, India — all massive potato producers with billions of mouths to feed.
And for good reason. Potatoes are nutrient-dense, are completely edible (zero waste) and have sustained entire civilizations throughout human history. They are low in calories, have zero fat, provide much-needed good carbs (ask any sports or health expert, we need carbs for our energy) and are loaded with vitamins and minerals — especially potassium (higher than bananas) and even high in vitamin C! That’s not to mention that they are available at reasonable prices, year-round.
But how about the value mentioned?
Take, for example, the 5-pound bag of russets in my neighborhood produce department listed at $2.79. It’s a single snapshot, I realize, but that, my fellow postharvest specialists, comes to 56 cents per pound — better than bananas — and with very little or no waste.
Now which commodity is the best value in the store, hmm?
Typically, as the bag size increases so does the value. A 10-pound bag of potatoes at one of my local stores is $4.24. That comes to 42 cents per pound.
Think fresh spuds are a pain to prepare? Hardly. In my favorite recipe, I rinse, dice (skin-on) and season about four medium potatoes, spread them evenly in a hot heavy skillet with a little olive oil, diced onions and peppers, flip once or twice until nicely caramelized, then allow to finish cooking over low heat. The whole process takes about 10 to 15 minutes, and I have leftovers for two or three meals. Easy prep, easy cleanup. A good side for any meal.
I figure that’s about 25 cents per serving. Why isn’t this message out there?
The Idaho Potato Commission has a wealth of handy information on its website www.idahopotato.com
One example is the cost per serving chart. It’s easy to use, and at a glance anyone in the food industry can see that a 100-count russet that costs $20 per carton comes to just 20 cents each, as just one example.
Like we used to say at the potato commission, potatoes aren’t cheap; they’re inexpensive.
In another handy online tool, the IPC offers a recipe cost calculator, perfect for restaurant or other foodservice operators looking for ways to offer value, formulating tasty, versatile dishes while maintaining a set profit.
This easy-to-use tool lets a chef or operator plug in a recipe using all items (not just potatoes) and generates a cost per item and serving numeric and pie chart. It’s a great visual that points out just how valuable the humble potato is and how it can be leveraged to provide desirable side dishes at a reasonable price — something desperately needed right now in an environment of sky-high menu prices and challenging customer traffic.
The IPC website offers much information for retail and foodservice, including thousands of recipes — so many ways to fix heart-healthy, delicious, nutritious, versatile potatoes.
There’s so much to offer, and yet, why does every produce operation keep this valuable category tucked away, out of sight, in the back of the department?
It is Potato Lover’s Month, after all.
Armand Lobato’s more than 50 years of experience in the produce business span a range of foodservice and retail positions. He has written a weekly retail column for nearly two decades.
