Potatoes gain credibility for performance of Olympic athletes

Potatoes as a performance food are gaining notoriety during the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, with the newly released Olympian Menu and announcement that performance nutrition is now a critical part of athletes’ strategy to win. The PyeongChang 2018 athlete’s village kitchen has 180 chefs serving 7,000 meals a day at its peak, and two senior sports nutritionists appointed to the United States Olympic Committee. Team USA shipped 85 pallets of food and equipment, including potatoes, to ensure athletes had exactly what they needed for fuel at all times. One of the nutritionists, Susie Parker-Simmons commented on the recommended dinner for a female cross-country skier: “a bun or roll with 4 ounces of meat, a cup of vegetables, a cup of quinoa, and a cup of baked potato wedges, as well as yogurt and fruit,” confirming that potatoes are a balanced part of a performance enhancing meal. For marathon runners and Olympic athletes or anyone who chooses to stay healthy through exercise and nutrition, potatoes are no doubt an important vegetable to include in their menu. (Source: Fresh Solutions Network via FreshPlaza)