Man cannot live on bread alone, but can he live on nothing but potatoes? Chris Voigt, chief of the Washington State Potato Commission, is finding out firsthand by eating nothing but 20 potatoes a day for two months. (Why 20? To eat enough calories to maintain his current weight.)
Voigt was feeling steamed (or perhaps boiled) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent spurning of the spud when it blocked the vegetable from a list of subsidized foods in low-income programs. “The potato is not the scourge of the Earth,” he said. And with plenty of nutrients like potassium, Vitamin C, and protein, it’s definitely not. But going on yet another of America’s extreme diets may not exactly be getting to the root of the problem with potatoes. (For that, I’ll direct you to the deep-fryer.)
Already practically Mr. Potato Head with a job like his, this stunt will surely bake in that title for Voigt, who admits 20 potatoes a day does not constitute a balanced diet. Half way through the gastronomic experiment, he seems to be feeling rather full and rather bored with only eating potatoes dressed up with a little oil, herbs, or bouillon. Which explains why he’s now making videos of mashing potatoes with a potato launcher.
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