Potatoes, undoubtedly win the crown for the world's most preferred vegetable. Whichever cuisine or whatever part of the world you are in, potatoes is one sure thing that you would find to eat. There are many people whom I have met who find it very difficult to adjust to the cuisine of a particular place while travelling. The potato then is the most preferred and the first choice that provides you the scope of satiating your hunger pangs.

The preparation may differ from one cuisine to the other, however, the versatility of this superb vegetable does not cease to surprise you. From the mashed potatoes, the popular french fries to being an important ingredient of stews to the indispensable "Aloo" (potato) of the Indian cuisine, potatoes definitely are an omnipresent vegetable. The potato sure has many floored with its charm all across the globe.

There is however, a general perception or rather a misconception among some that potatoes are not good for health and must be avoided on a regular basis. However, this is definitely not true. Potatoes are the best known source of carbohydrates in the world. It is not the potato that is injurious to health it is the techinique of cooking it that makes it good or bad. Deep fried potato dishes are a definite no...no. Now that does not apply to potatoes alone. Deep fried dishes made with any vegetable or meat is not good for health if consumed on a regular basis. It is the cooking style of deep frying that makes it unhealthy and the potato is surely not to be blamed.

So it's back to our very own favorite the potato. You can now eat the potato without any worries provided you pay a little attention to the way you cook it. And as I always highlight everything in moderation is fine...just see that you do not go overboard.

Potato chips are definitely the world's preferred and the most popular snack. You just can't stop at one, that is for sure. However, it is only when you have finished off half the packet or maybe the whole thing that the evil guilt strikes. Loads of oil and salt...how can you resist the great taste. The most popular brand of potato chips - "Lay's" now introduces a low salt version "a pinch of salt" to let you handle your guilt and health better and munch away.

The news of the Lay's company introducing potato chips with low sodium must definitely come as welcome news to all chip lovers. The "Pinch of Salt" the new entry on Lay's line of snacks has 75 milligrams of sodium per ounce of serving as compared to 180 milligrams in the regular pack. That definitely is good news for those who just can't stop munching. The low sodium variety for one thing does not compromise on taste, so you do not have to give up on taste for those health benefits. Warning : Munching uncontrallably on high calorie snacks is injurious to health. Anything and everything in moderation is advisable (being a health freak I just couldn't resist adding the warning note).

The potato definitely is the universal ambassador propagating the strongly the idea that "if you are good, you can take on the world". Guess that is one way to look at the potato:).