The potato. I’ve been in love with you ever since I had my first french fry. It’s a love affair that hasn’t been perfect. We’ve been through some rocky times: Atkins, Low-Carb, and Paleo. These diets tried to keep me from you, but as you know, I just can’t stay away.
Thankfully, I don’t have to steer clear of one of my favorite foods; in fact, I can actually indulge on potatoes and not feel guilty. According to Potatoes USA, the potato is a host to numerous beneficial vitamins and nutrients that the body needs. While I loaded up on bananas after a long run, I should have been eating a potato instead. The potato has more potassium than a banana and surprisingly offers 45% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. In addition to being extremely nutritious, a medium sized potato only has 110 calories and doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol. It’s these little facts that make me wonder why I avoided the potato for so long.
Avoid the potato no more. This is my mantra….especially after finding one of my favorite Denver food trucks, Spud Nation. The first time I tried the unique potato dishes from the Spud Nation food truck, I was at the tasting room at Stranahan’s sampling Colorado Whiskey. It was a cold, snowy day, and I needed something warm to complement my whiskey. The Spud Nation food truck was outside and offered so many mouth-watering choices, I didn’t know which item to choose. Instead of choosing just one potato dish, I chose five different items, and I shared my picks with the people at our table. I still dream about the Tacos de Papas (where the meat is actually potato) and the Spunions, a potato-based “onion ring.” After that first visit with the Spud Nation food truck, I became hooked.
So, what’s a potato-addicted girl to do? I do what any obsessed woman would do. I stalk the food truck and show up at the different breweries and festivals in Denver where the food truck is located, and I try the new and delicious choices Spud Nation has to offer. I’m not embarrassed about my addiction to potatoes; I am simply finding a way to insert the delicious vegetable back into my life. This time around, the potato and I are for keeps.