To Perform Your Best in the New Year, Put This Vegetable on Your Plate

Leading sports nutritionists across the country agree: when it comes to performing your best in the New Year, look no further than the potato. That's because the benefits of America's most popular vegetable go far beyond its delicious taste and versatility in the kitchen. In fact, potatoes provide the carbohydrate, potassium and energy you need to tackle any resolutionwhether it's training for a marathon or trying out a new class at the gym.

Carbohydrate is the primary fuel for your brain, a key source of energy for muscles and important for optimal physical and mental performance 1. Because your body's own stores of carbohydrate are limited and may be depletedeven in a single session of intense and/or prolonged exerciseit's important to replenish them 2. And potatoes are a great option, with 26 grams of carbohydrates in a medium (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato.In addition, when compared to other typical carbohydrate "go-tos" such as spaghetti, brown rice and whole wheat bread, potatoes contain as much if not more of several essential vitamins and minerals 3. "For a great post-workout meal, try a Spanish Potato Frittata," says Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, and consulting sport nutritionist for the Cincinnati Bengals. "This recipe is not only simple to make, but also provides important nutrients like carbohydrate and potassium (among others) from the potatoes, along with protein from the eggs."

Potatoes are also more potassium-packed than any other popular vegetable. A medium (5.3 ounce) skin-on potato contains 620 milligrams of potassium - that's more potassium than a banana! Potassium is an important electrolyte that aids in muscle contraction as well as cardiovascular and nervous system function. "Whether you're a professional athlete or a yoga novice, you need potatoes in your life to fuel your body and brain throughout the day," says Katie Cavuto, MS, RD, Chef and dietitian for the Philadelphia Flyers and Phillies." She keeps her potato dishes interesting with recipes like Smoky Maple Potato Bites, combining a crunchy panko crust with a creamy and satisfying potato center to create an easy make-ahead, post-workout snack.

With seven unique potato types (Russets, reds, yellows, whites, purples/blues, petites and fingerlings!), a range of preparations and several forms to fit various needs, there are endless possibilities for flavor exploration with potatoes. "To perform your bestput potatoes on your plate, even in a sweet chocolaty muffin," says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, the nutritionist for the Chicago Cubs. "My make-ahead Red Velvet Potato Muffins are smart way to fuel your body before or after a workout."

Find the full recipe for Dawn's Red Velvet Potato Muffins below, and learn everything you can do with potatoes and all the ways they can power your performance at PotatoGoodness.com/performance.

Red Velvet Potato Muffins

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 9 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup baked potato, cooled (with skin)
1/2 cup sliced cooked beets, cooled (about 1 medium beet)
1 banana, peeled
3 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
3.Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly pour batter into 9 of the cups.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
5. Let the muffins cool completely before eating. Store extras in fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen muffins in fridge for a couple of hours before eating.

Nutritionals per muffin: Calories 105, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 62 mg, Sodium: 229 mg, Carbohydrates: 14 g, Fiber: 2 g, Potassium: 277 mg, Protein: 3 g, Vitamin C: 7%

1 Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Position of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics, American College of Sports Medicine and the Dietitians of Canada. Med Sci Sports Excerc. 2015; 48:543-568)
2 Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE. Carbohydrates for training and competition. J Sports Sci. 2011; 29(Suppl 1): S17-27).
3When compared on a per serving basis.

About Potatoes USA
Potatoes USA is the nation's potato marketing and research organization. Based in Denver, Colorado, Potatoes USA represents more than 2,500 potato growers and handlers across the country. Potatoes USA was established in 1971 by a group of potato growers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes. Today, as the largest vegetable commodity board, Potatoes USA is proud to be recognized as an innovator in the produce industry and dedicated to positioning potatoes as a nutrition powerhouse.

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