Potato, potato and more potato: surviving on spuds

Matt Damon has done a lot for the humble potato. In his recent film, The Martian, a stranded astronaut survives for months on Mars eating nothing but spuds. All of which raises an interesting question – is it possible to get by on nothing but potato for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional science behind surviving on a single food source, and see if Matt Damon’s Hollywood heroics are actually possible. (To give the potato a fighting chance, we’ll be including its vitamin-filled cousin, the sweet potato.)

The potato diet is as cheap as chips, literally.

Though this diet is likely to bore your tastebuds to death, it does have a few positives. Financially, it’s a winner. At $9.90 a day and $2.48 a meal it might do wonders for your wallet, but what will it do for your waistline? And more importantly your nutritional intake? For a beige food, potatoes actually contain a surprising number of vitamins and minerals. You’ll get all the potassium, phosphorus and iron you need, plus vitamin A and C from our helpful sweet potatoes. They’re also a great source of fibre to get the digestive system working like a charm. 

But the potato diet is far from a square meal.

They’re ultimately a few nutrients short of a feast. Without any culinary variety, you’ll quickly find yourself lacking in vitamin D, B12, calcium, protein and Omega 3. 

The potato diet is ok for surviving, but not for thriving.

The potato is a great survival food. But the potato is a team player and works best as part of a balanced diet. For our bodies and brains to function at their peak, we need a wide range of nutrients. If you’re stuck on Mars with nothing to eat but potatoes, dig in. Until then get a fully balanced meal every time with Aussielent. 

Ingredients: Potato (100%).

[Plain boiled Coliban potato (65%), Plain boiled Sweet Potato (35%)]