Potatoes

The eating habits of most nations place a great deal of importance on a category of foods we call starches. In fact, for a large portion of the world’s peoples, starch is the mainstay of the diet and supplies most of the day’s calories. In North America and Europe, the most important starches are potatoes, rice, pasta, and bread. It is true we do not depend on these high-carbohydrate foods as much as many of the world’s people, who eat far less meat than we do. Nevertheless, even as diet fashions and fads come and go, starches appear at nearly all our meals.