Eye on Potatoes

Consumer Trends

Recent consumer potato consumption trends point to significant growth opportunities for the U.S. potato industry, according to new research conducted by Datassential, a food industry market research firm. The research shows that nearly half (43 percent) of Americans surveyed report they increased their potato consumption in 2012. Forty-six percent reported eating potatoes several times per week at home or away from home, with 14 percent eating potatoes daily or more than once a day.

According to the research, consumers most often eat fries (57 percent), followed by mashed potatoes (42 percent) and baked potatoes (37 percent). In the future, consumers expect to order more baked potatoes when dining out (33 percent), followed by orders of fries, sweet potato fries, and oven roasted/baked sweet potatoes, all at 30 percent.  

It’s clear that Americans like potatoes; however, to a large degree, potatoes have been left behind in all the innovation in the food-service industry. Expect to see more variety of ethnic potato dishes and variety in type of potatoes on menus, especial sweet potatoes.

Potatoes: Fresh ideas for menu innovation
Learn about the types of new and specialty potatoes that America's potato growers are bringing to the market. With traditional brown and gold as well as red, white and blue, today's potatoes come in more colors, shapes, sizes and flavor profiles than ever.

Potato Recipes
Papas a la Arequipeña   
A Peruvian-style dish, featuring a rainbow of yellow, red and purple potatoes, baked with feta, mozzarella, chiles and broth.

Mini Herbed Anna Potatoes

The more carefully you arrange the potato slices, the prettier the results and the better the individual-size cakes will hold together.

Papas Chorreadas
A dish of Colombian Potatoes with Cheese and Tomato Sauce