Potato Industry Debuts New Campaign that Highlights the Performance-Boosting Benefits of Potatoes

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Aug 07, 2018, 06:00 ET

DENVER, Aug. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Potato industry is making a strong statement about potatoes to demonstrate the performance-boosting benefits of America's favorite vegetable. Potatoes USA, the nation's potato marketing and research organization, worked with its members to identify a nutrition-based lifestyle benefit that challenges consumers' preconceived notions about potatoes. Extensive research led to a strategy based on a key truth: Potatoes fuel performance. Most people don't consider the potato a performance food and are surprised to learn about all of the nutritional benefits.

Potatoes provide the energy, potassium and complex carbohydrate people need to perform at their best. A medium-size, 5.2-ounce potato with the skin on has, 26 grams of carbohydrate, 620 mg of potassium, and is more energy packed than any other popular vegetable. Potatoes also contain many other important nutrients that athletes seek such as 27 mg vitamin C, 2 g fiber and 3 g complete protein.¹

Adequate energy intake supports optimal body functions and carbohydrate is the primary fuel for your brain and a key source of energy for muscles.² And with the skin on potatoes have more potassium than a medium-size banana. Potassium is an important electrolyte that aids in muscle, cardiovascular and nervous system function.

Potatoes USA is bringing its "performance" strategy to life in a new campaign that shows how potatoes fuel athletic performance and poses the question: "What are you eating?" The campaign is based on the idea that consistently beating your personal best isn't just about how you train, it's about what you eat.

"The potato undeniably works in the athlete's favor," says Blair Richardson, Potatoes USA President/CEO. "The message is clear: If potatoes can fuel elite athletes, they can fuel your active life, too."

While the campaign features athletes it is not about marketing only to them. It is about showing the power of the potato through people who can influence consumers to think about potatoes differently.

The campaign is being executed through a variety of mechanisms including race sponsorships—including a year-long partnership with the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series®, advertising, influencer marketing, social media and industry engagement.

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.

1.	US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Nutrient Data Laboratory. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (Slightly revised).
2.	Nutrition and Athletic Performance. Position of the Academy for Nutrition and Dietetics, American College of Sports Medicine and the Dieticians of Canada. Med Sci Sports Excerc. 2015; 48:543-568.