Potatoes Named Top Pick for Favorite Summer Side Dish

Popular Potato Salad Dishes are Healthy, Affordable and Easy to Prepare

DENVER, Colo. (May 6, 2010) – Americans from coast to coast are in agreement: a backyard barbecue, poolside party or campfire cookout just isn’t complete without potato salad on the table. According to a recent poll on AOLFood.com potato salad is the No. 1 pick among cold side salads with 48-percent of the vote, edging out pasta salad, green salad, cole slaw and three-bean salad.

Want to impress your guests and prepare a new potato salad for the party? The United States Potato Board (USPB), the nation’s potato experts, is introducing four new potato salad recipes for you to rotate throughout the summer barbecue season.

• The USPB’s new Quick & Healthy Classic Potato Salad recipe is ideal for serving alongside just about any summertime entrée, from chicken to burgers to fish. And, by using nonfat plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise, this potato salad has just 180 calories and zero fat per serving. The crunch of celery and combination of potato and egg keep it classic.
• For a baked potato taste that still feels like summertime, consider the USPB’s recipe for Quick & Healthy Baked Potato Salad. With reduced-fat cheddar cheese, chives and bacon bits, you’ll feel like you’re eating a traditional baked potato in potato salad form.
• Get your fill of veggies – that’s right, potatoes are vegetables - without breaking the bank with the USPB’s Quick & Healthy Garden Veggie Potato Salad. At just $1.97 per serving, this potato salad is nutrition packed with carrots, spinach, artichoke hearts and bell peppers.
• For a taste of the Mediterranean this summer, try the Quick & Healthy Greek Potato Salad, which features Kalamata olives, Feta cheese, cucumbers and Greek yogurt in a flavorful dish with just two grams of fat per serving. 

At just 110 calories, America’s favorite vegetable is packed with essential vitamins and minerals.  One medium-size (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato boasts more potassium than a banana and almost half your daily value of vitamin C (45%), and absolutely no fat, sodium or cholesterol.
 With the USPB’s Quick & Healthy Potato Salad recipes, you can rest assured that your potato salad will not only be popular, it will also pack a nutritional punch with at least 45 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin C and at least 690 milligrams of potassium per serving for each recipe.

For a host of healthy potato recipes, go to www.potatogoodness.com or visit the USPB’s blog, Mom’s Dinner Helper, (http://momsdinnerhelper.potatogoodness.com/), or Facebook Fan Page (www.facebook.com/potatoestatersandspuds) to unearth a little potato goodness today.  

 The United States Potato Board was established in 1971 by a group of potato growers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes.  Recognized as an innovator in the producer marketing industry, the USPB adopted a new campaign in 2008. “Potatoes… Goodness Unearthed®” showcases the appeal of naturally nutrient-rich potatoes, also known as America’s favorite vegetable.  Based in Denver, Colo., the USPB represents more than 4,000 potato growers and handlers across the country. To unearth more goodness about the USPB and its programs, visit www.potatogoodness.com.