The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been a national television tradition for 78 years, marking the official start of the Christmas season.

Today, its first food-related balloon will float along the 2.5-mile parade route in New York. Mr. Potato Head is back in all his glory, transformed into a sporty new “Healthy Mr. Potato Head” larger-than-life balloon.

For the past few years, with the low-carb craze in America at its peak, potatoes have been trashed and bashed, instead of mashed, smashed, baked, scalloped and just plain enjoyed for breakfast, lunch and dinner, without guilt. To fight back, the U.S. Potato Board is promoting the benefits of eating potatoes and has licensed Healthy Mr. Potato Head from Hasbro Properties Group as their new “spokes-spud.”

Located in Denver, Colo., and representing 10,000 potato growers and handlers across the country, the Potato Board has as its mission the improvement of consumers’ perceptions of the value of potatoes. The board’s motivation for sharing information on potato nutrition and healthy recipes is an increase in the demand for potatoes and potato products. Everybody wins!

Mr. Potato Head has a toy history marked by firsts. On Feb. 5, 1952, he was the first toy advertised on network TV.

Anybody remember the original version — in which only the plastic parts (eyes, ears, noses, mouths, etc.) were in the box? Parents had to provide real potatoes for the body. In 1964, Mr. Potato Head came complete with a plastic body.

Healthy Mr. Potato Head represents a healthy lifestyle with his new look, including inline skates, running shoes, a water bottle, a baseball cap, portable MP3 player and toned-up new muscles. He speaks “naturally” to inspire and inform meal planners about the potato’s nutrients and minerals: potassium, vitamin C and fiber, mainly.

The Healthy Mr. Potato Head balloon actually jump-starts a potato awareness campaign across the country that includes a colorful recipe brochure (to receive a copy, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Healthy Mr. Potato Head Recipes, 5105 East 41st Ave., Denver, CO 80216). Kid-friendly recipes, including Rainbow Potato Pancakes, Eat-Your-Veggies Chicken Soup and Roman Roasted Vegetables, are detailed along with Healthy Mr. Potato Head’s sage advice, “30 minutes of bicycling can spin away 220 calories” and his reminder to “Jump rope for joy. Exercise is a proven mood-enhancing activity.”

It might not surprise you that Healthy Mr. Potato Head is available as a promotional limited-edition premium. Consumers who provide their name and address, two UPC codes from fresh potato products, and a check or money order for $7.50 payable to 24/7 Incentives Inc., can receive the toy. Write to: Healthy Mr. Potato Head, P.O. Box 461614, Aurora, CO 80046-1614. He’s a cutie, but be advised to allow eight weeks for delivery.

Thinking about my own Thanksgiving and how mashed potatoes are always an integral menu item, I was inspired to test a version from the U.S. Potato Board’s new “naturally nutritious, always delicious” recipes, online at www.healthypotato.com. I used up an odd assortment of red-skinned and Yukon gold potatoes I had on hand.
I really never measure when I make mashed or smashed potatoes. An important guideline: count 1 medium potato per person. Adjust the liquid, whether milk or buttermilk, according to how moist you like your mashed potatoes, knowing that they soak up more than you think.
My tasters thought the buttermilk had a sour creamy taste. Taste and then add butter. People eat with their eyes, and melted butter flowing down the sides of a dish of smashed potatoes will win praise for the careful cook.

Yes, recipes that call for 1/2 cup of butter will taste great, but you won’t like what your scale says the next day.