Are Potatoes Fruits or Vegetables?

Potatoes are a staple part of the diet in many regions. Whether boiled, baked or fried, potatoes are an extremely popular side dish.

The potato plant belongs to the nightshade family, which includes tomatoes and tobacco. Potatoes are native to South America and were transported to Europe in the 16th century. They're now grown in countless varieties all over the world.

However, is the potato a fruit or a vegetable? Let's find out.

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Is Potato a Vegetable?

Yes. Botanically speaking, a potato is unquestionably a vegetable. It originates from an annual plant that's cultivated for the purpose of harvesting its edible root.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), vegetables can be broken down into five distinct categories based on the types of nutrients they contain: dark-green vegetables, starchy vegetables, beans and peas, red and orange vegetables, and other vegetables. Potatoes fall under the category of starchy vegetables.

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Truth About Potatoes

The potato is a tuber, which is a kind of root vegetable. It develops from the potato plant's roots rather than being the roots themselves. The potato is undeniably edible and is utilized almost exclusively in savory dishes, with or without protein.

However, the potato is not a fruit. Potato plants do produce fruits that closely resemble cherry tomatoes - but these are inedible. Potatoes develop from the plant's roots and not its blossoms. They do not contain seeds and will grow regardless of whether the potato plant is pollinated.

Potatoes are grown in hills, with two or three layers of soil piled over most of the stem throughout the growing season. The underground portion of the stem produces roots, from which tubers develop. This method of cultivation makes no sense for fruits or vegetables that are not tubers.

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Why People Mistake Potatoes for Fruit?

As potatoes can reproduce asexually, there's a common misconception that potato eyes contain seeds. This perception that the potato produces seeds leads to the incorrect conclusion that potato is a fruit.

People mistake the potato for fruit because of two very specific mistaken notions. The first is that a potato must have seeds, as it can reproduce, and the second is that all fruits contain seeds.

In fact, a process called parthenocarpy can help develop seedless fruits. Neither do potato plants undergo parthenocarpy nor does the potato develop from the ovules of a flowering plant. Consequently, they're not fruits.

However, potato plants produce fruit from their reproductive organs. The fruit is green, resembles a tomato, and has a diameter of 1.5 inches. Interestingly, the fruit of a potato plant is toxic. Approximately 300 potato-growing seeds are contained in this fruit.

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Nutritional Value of Potato

Potatoes cooked with their skins are an excellent source of numerous vitamins and minerals, including potassium and vitamin C.

The potato is primarily composed of carbohydrates, containing moderate amounts of protein and fiber, but almost no fat when it's fresh. The following nutrients are present in 2/3 cups (100 grams) of boiled potato prepared with the skin but without salt:

Calories: 87

Water: 77%

Protein: 1.9 grams

Carbs: 20.1 grams

Sugar: 0.9 grams

Fiber: 1.8 grams

Fat: 0.1 grams

Although the potato is not high in fiber, its skin is a good source of fiber. About 52% of dried potato skins are fiber.

Most potato fibers, including pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, are insoluble. They also contain variable amounts of resistant starch, a type of fiber that feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut and improves digestive health.

Additionally, resistant starch can improve blood sugar regulation by moderating the rise in blood sugar after meals.