Dolly Parton is best known as the queen of country music, of course, but the beloved singer also has a reputation for being a major foodie. Just last year, she teamed up with her sister Rachel Parton George to launch her own cookbook, and she has previously released cake mixes and cookware.
When it comes to food, Parton has made no secret of the fact that she enjoys hearty Southern cooking. So it’s no surprise that her favorite ingredient is the humble potato. In fact, the musician loves potatoes so much that she eats them every single day.
“I have to have something with potatoes,” Parton told Today earlier this year. “I mean, I’m just one of those people that I have to either have a baked potato, some mashed potatoes, or some french fries, or something to do with potatoes.”
Dolly Parton/IG
Parton isn’t alone in her overwhelming love for potatoes. This simple vegetable is arguably one of the most universally loved foods in the US. In February 2025, a study by Potatoes USA found that 81 percent of Americans eat at least one serving of potatoes every week, and one in three people eat more than three servings per week. In other words, Parton is very much in the majority.
Potatoes come with some serious health benefits
Potatoes often get a bad rap. Last year, the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee even considered whether potatoes should be classified as a vegetable.
The negative health associations mostly come from the way people tend to prepare potatoes. French fries and mashed potatoes loaded with butter are comforting and popular, but they’re not typically seen as the healthiest options (though much depends on how they’re cooked).
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But in their natural, unprocessed form, potatoes are rich in nutrients. They’re a good source of fiber and carbohydrates, and they contain an abundance of nutrients, like vitamin C, vitamin B6, and potassium.
In 2023, a study by the Alliance for Potato Research and Education suggested that potatoes can even help children eat more vegetables. Researchers found that when young children were served potato-shaped smiley faces alongside peas and carrots, they ate more total vegetables.
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“Getting kids to eat their vegetables is always a challenge,” the study’s lead author, Gene Ahlborn, PhD, said in a statement. “Potatoes not only add nutrients, like potassium, directly to the plate, but they may also help encourage kids to explore other veggies that they’re served alongside and thereby help them get closer to their overall nutrition needs.”
If you want to follow Parton’s lead and add more potatoes to your diet, check out this list of 40 delicious potato recipes to make the most of this humble vegetable.
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
