7 Reasons You Need To Plant Potatoes

As you plan what to plant on your vegetable garden, you must consider potatoes as they are ideal to feed your family during tough times. Also, it is one crop that should top every grocery list as you shop. Therefore, plant some potatoes in your garden, and the many benefits that they provide will not disappoint you. They are superstars when you need a meal to survive on, as much as they have a humble reputation. Below are some reasons why you need to plant potatoes that will make you want to plant more of them every season.

1. They are easy to grow 

Firstly, if you plan to grow your potatoes at home, it is possible as they are easy to grow. They don’t need processing or any form of machinery. Thus, if you have a family plot, you require minimal labor and attention to grow potatoes. They are easy even for one person to grow as well as harvest. In comparison to grain crops that need to be milled, threshed, combined among other processes before you use them, potatoes are easy as you just have to pull them out of the earth, brush off the dirt, and prepare them to cook. no heavy machinery is necessary.

2. They are healthier than grains

Since potatoes are naturally gluten-free, they are a perfect alternative to grains. As gluten is present in grains like rye, barley, spelt, and wheat. Individuals who experience adverse symptoms from consuming gluten can opt for potatoes that easily digest. Plus, you can prevent these symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and stomach pains that are due to the gluten in these grain crops. For this reason, add potatoes to your gluten-free diet if you are following one. Importantly, read your potato recipe in case it contains gluten as potato bread cannot be among the best to try if you are avoiding gluten.

3. You can prepare them in endless ways

When you have potatoes in the kitchen, fresh from your garden, they are extremely versatile. This is a great reason to plant potatoes, other than them being delicious and healthy. For instance, you can boil, mash, fry them, or cook them in a stew. What’s more, you can make potato flour from them for baked goods and scallop them. However, if you are keen on your calorie intake, avoid fried potatoes, and opt to roast them in the oven instead. You can just slice and sprinkle some extra virgin oil before baking. Also, consume the skin of the potatoes as most nutrients are present there, although many people prefer removing the skin. So, plant potatoes in your garden this year and be self-reliant.

4. They are filling 

Are you doing more manual labor in your day to day work? Having potatoes as part of your diet will provide you with the needed calories. Also, since they are filling, they help a lot to lose weight or regulate it as they help curb hunger pains. For instance, in an extreme situation where you need to bike or walk long distances daily, potatoes will give you the energy you need. Hence, it is essential to have them within reach. If you need extra calories for your day where you need to do work that requires extra effort, have some homegrown potatoes that will give your family the extra calories they need.

5. They are packed with nutrients 

Add vitamins and minerals in your everyday diet by eating potatoes. It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Manganese, potassium, folate, among other nutrients. Nonetheless, the nutritional content of potatoes varies on how you prepare them, and the variety of potatoes you have in your garden. Also, those who add the skin, and those who remove the skin, get various varying nutrients as the skin has a great number of minerals and vitamins. So, wash your homegrown potatoes thoroughly and cook them without peeling to avoid reducing their nutritional content. Consume your potatoes unpeeled for its excellent nutrients and avoid listening to the bad rap people say about them.

6. They can be stored for months 

Once you harvest your potatoes from your home garden, depending on the amount, you might need to store them for months for future use. However, you need to keep them at the right temperature to make them last longer. An old fashion root cellar would work best. However, if it is not possible to get a root cellar, you can prevent them from spoiling by keeping them away from garlic and onions. Additionally, if you fear they will rot before you use them all, you can slice them and dehydrate them by using an oven or dehydrator. After this, you can store them in airtight containers for a long time and they take minimal space.

7. Have other amazing uses 

Potatoes are amazing for other reasons around the kitchen. For instance, they are known to help remove splinters. This is by placing the side with no skin after cutting it into slices on the splint. Then hold it for fifteen minutes or more and tie it in place with a bandage. Afterward, when you remove the potato, it should remove the splinter. Also, potatoes help remove certain food stains from your hands. For instance, when picking or eating berries, and your hands get stained with berry juice, if you rub your hands with a slice of raw potato, it helps remove the stain.

To sum up, growing potatoes is easy and you can even grow them in a limited space. Plus, you need them in your garden to add them to your dishes as they will provide you with numerous nutrients making them a healthy dish to consume. The health benefits they provide are impressive, such as higher immunity, improved blood sugar control, improved digestive health, among others. Fortunately, they can be enjoyed by almost everyone as they are naturally gluten-free. Hence, a great addition to your diet but in moderation.