Hand Coding

Low-carb eaters have mostly accepted the restrictions on bread and potatoes these days. But, I never thought I’d see the day where we’d be talking about low-carb potatoes. To be fair, they’re actually reduced carb potatoes (about a third the carbs of a regular potato), but that’s still progress.

Potatoes are among the banned substances on the Atkins diet, which advocates a high-protein, low-carbohydrate food regime. The new variety has yet to be formally named but has already been called the “spud-u-lite” by its inventors. They claim it contains a third less carbohydrate than normal potatoes and has an “exceptional” flavour.

The new breed is believed to have reduced carbohydrate levels because it has a lower density of flesh and matures over a shorter time. It was developed as a result of cross-breeding, but its low-carbohydrate properties were discovered by chance by researchers at the HZPC seed firm. A co-operative of potato growers in Florida is planning to mass-produce the variety for the American market but it is not known when the vegetables could be on sale in Britain. […]

I’m not sure how they’ll really taste compared to regular potatoes, or even when they might become available in stores. But, if I run across them at Super Target sometime, I’ll give them a chance. I’ve almost forgotten how to prepare potatoes but, come to think of it, a baked potato with sour cream and bacon chips could be worth the wait.