(Image Source: KING)
BY HOJONG KIM / ADAM FALK
ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY
You say potato, and the US Department of Agriculture says less potato. Fox News has more on this starchy subject.
“Spuds on the verge of suspension, if U.S Department of Agriculture gets their way, potatoes at your kids’ school could be a thing of the past. It’s in the name of health, but it could end up costing 6.8 over the next years.”
And despite the partisan atmosphere in Washington, lawmakers form both parties say they can agree on spuds. A bipartisan group is proposing an amendment to fight the USDA’s proposed nutrition rules, which limit the consumption of “starchy vegetables” in schools.
Sen. Mark Udall of potato-producing Colorado tells the LA Times...
“We both believe potatoes have gotten a bad rap. … The truth is, when prepared properly, the potato can provide critical nutrients to students that will help them lead healthy lives and be ready to learn in the classrooms.”
A spokesman for the National Potato Council tells USA Today, this is just another in a list of challenges for spuds in recent years. Mark Szymanski, or Mr. Potato, says...
“The Atkins craze, that definitely has had a lasting impact. Now, it just seems like the potato is the next silver bullet Americans are looking for.”
But USDA undersecretary for nutrition programsKevin Concannon responds in the article, this issue getting a little over-cooked by the potato industry.
“Nothing against the potato, he says, but it often crowds out more nutrient-rich dark green vegetables.”
The new guidelines of the USDA will opt for more dark geen and oragne veggies and try to reduce the use of potatoes, including white potatoes, in school lunches to a total of one cup per week.
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