VERSATILE POTATO

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 285, 31 August 1942, Page 4

VERSATILE POTATO

What We Should Eat To Replace It NO SINGLE SUBSTITUTE (By Muriel E; Bell, M.D.) For most people, potatoes arc at present unprocurable, and the question arises: “What can I use as a substitute?” In actual fact, there is uo single substitute for this important tuber, and Dr. Bell explains why several vegetables are necessary to replace it, in this, the latest article issued by the New .Zealand Association bf Scientific Workers.

Steamed, baked, boiled, mashed, rousted—tlie potato is, or. rather was, the most versatile vegetable in our daily menu. The shortage of potatoes creates real problems for The housewife who knows that variety is the spice above all for attractive meals. More than this, the shortage of potatoes menus the loss, and consequent deficiency in our diet, of very delitiile quantities of essential nutritive sub-, stances. These must be replaced by the inclusion of potato'subs, Hutes, il we are to maintain a balanced, health-

giving diet. , ~ , The potato is an extremely valuable vegetable from the nutritional viewpoint. To enumerate its virtues: it adds to the energy-giving value of our diet by providing carbohydrate: the potato protein, though small in amount, is valuable in type; the potato makes n very considerable contribution toward the day’s needs for vitamin C—indeed, outbreaks of scurvy hr Europe became much less common after ilia introduction of the potato: similarly, it adds appreciable amounts of vitamin B—thus the nutrition experts appointed by Hie League of Nations Health Committee declared that "white flour in the process of milling is deprived Of important nutritive elements. Its use should be. decreased and partial substitution by lightly milled cereals and specially by

potatoes is recommended. ’’ Having been asked to write an article on substitutes for potatoes, I must say quite frankly that there are no single articles of diet which can quite take their place. But as we arc faced with a shortage, here :u-e some suggestions: To go with meat, and to provide calories, we could use root vegetables, or !’!<•<■ or macaroni if they were available: or we could use dried peas or beans: or bread. More oatmeal as a breakfast food is suggested, This -has the ad-

vantage tliat it helps' to make up the quota of-vitamin B, as do wholemeal bread, and peas and beans. These substitutes still leave us without the vitamin C provided by the potatoes.. So, to make up for that, we shall have to take a greater helping of green vegetables or swedes, If these can be , obtained, or else eat one or two raw Sturmer apples, (richer in vitamin C than other apples) , or make .more use. of black currants,- gooseberries and red currants when they come in. Of course, oranges, grapefruit or lemons should lie used if they are available. But these are less universally obtainable than Sturmer', apples, which really come quite near to acting as a substitute for potatoes in'that they contain carbohydrate as well as vitamin C, Actually we should regard ourselves as lucky, for compared with England going without fruit and conversely relying on potatoes to a much greater extent—we at least have apples, The Minister of Agriculture has sug-, gested that we should not peel our potatoes but should -boll them in their skins. Nutritionally and economically sound advice. According to an investigation done by the Homo Science Department the loss from peeling (from an economic point of view) amounts to 10 per cent., even with careful peeling. It. is reassuring to know that the Government is planning the production of more potatoes. There Is still room for improvement in our New Zealand average consumption of this vegetable; In two of th© studies made by the Homo Science Department, the average daily Intake of potatoes amounts to 6oz, Compare ourselves with others: Great Britain’s average is 90z.: Ger-, manv and Franco 17-Joz.; Belgium Ivor., a day. Perlmps the present shortage will teach us to appreciate Hie virtues of tho~potato more fully, and in the happv davs of the future we will make greater use of <this versatile and valuable vegetable.