Limit potatoes in schools?

Spuds. Just another topic for debate in the U.S. Senate. In the hyper-partisan atmosphere of Washington, lawmakers from both parties found something they could agree on: potatoes. “Here are some nutritional facts about potatoes that are often overlooked,” Sen. Susan Collins, Republican from potato-producing Maine, told her colleagues on Monday. “We both believe potatoes have gotten a bad rap,” added Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat from Colorado, another potato-producing state. “The truth is, when prepared properly, the potato can provide critical nutrients to students that will help them lead healthy lives and be ready to learn in the classrooms.” They are fighting proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrition rules to limit the consumption of starchy vegetables, including potatoes, in schools. For Collins, Udall and other lawmakers from potato-producing states, the issue is, well, no small potatoes. Potatoes represent tens of millions of dollars in business for their states. (Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com …