A nationally representative survey of 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) shows potatoes have emerged as the top-ranked versatile pantry staple, a finding with direct implications for operators and retailers leaning into value-driven menu and merchandising strategies.
Conducted by Talker Research, the study found that nearly three-quarters of respondents consider minimizing food waste (73%), shelf life (72%), and nutritional value for the money (71%) among their most important grocery-shopping criteria. More than half (60%) deliberately build weekly meal plans around ingredient overlap, and nearly two-thirds (63%) said an ingredient's ability to span breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a major factor in whether it earns a permanent place in their kitchen.
What the Numbers Show
Among all pantry staples tested, potatoes ranked first for versatility at 40%. Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they rely on potatoes more today than a year ago, and nearly half (48%) now view them more positively because of their affordability and versatility. Among regular potato buyers specifically, 82% rated potatoes as good or excellent for versatility across meal types and for helping feed a household on a budget, while 75% gave the same rating for nutritional value.
"People expect more from every ingredient they buy today," said Jamey Higham, President & CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission. "As families place a greater value on simple, nutritious and dependable foods, it's rewarding to see Idaho potatoes recognized for the qualities they've quietly delivered for generations."
Operator Relevance
For foodservice and restaurant menu development, the survey data reinforces a trend that culinary directors and purchasing managers are already navigating: diners who cook at home with budget-conscious efficiency increasingly carry those value expectations into restaurants. Ingredients that signal versatility, nutrition, and low waste align with both on-premise storytelling and back-of-house cost management.
To translate the research into actionable content, the IPC partnered with cookbook author and Rustic Joyful Food founder Danielle Kartes to demonstrate how a single 10-pound bag of Idaho potatoes can yield five distinct dinners. The campaign, available at the IPC's Five Recipes Under $100 hub, is designed to resonate with operators and home cooks alike who are under pressure to stretch ingredient budgets without sacrificing variety or nutrition.
The broader shift the survey captures — away from single-use ingredients toward cross-daypart, multi-meal workhorses — echoes patterns tracked in food and beverage industry trend analysis over the past two years, as inflationary pressure has permanently recalibrated how both consumers and operators evaluate ingredient ROI. For supply chain professionals, sustained demand signals like these support longer-term category planning around commodity staples with proven shelf stability.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
