As the staple of Thanksgiving or daily meals, mashed potatoes are a fan favorite by 28%, as the Idaho Potato Commission states, compared to other spud delights. Few other potato dishes have the option to add sour cream, cheese, green onions, bacon, and gravy so beautifully together.
The trifle with tots is the exertion it takes to make them into finely mashed goodness. Not only does boiling whole potatoes take time, especially depending on the number of servings being made, but it’s also exhausting to the arms. Luckily, instant mashed potatoes were made in the mid-20th century by the R.T. French Company and later perfected by a Canadian food scientist named Edward Asselbergs, as stated by Potato Grower Magazine.
It’s easy to open the packet and pour boiling water onto the dehydrated powder. There’s even more convenience in the fact it can be taken and made anywhere as long as there’s a way to heat the water. However, one of the biggest concerns is if convenience will forfeit quality. Looking into the ingredients list, the popular Idahoan instant has 450 mg of sodium compared to 36 mg in the average homemade product. Health Castle also states it has a long list of additives to ensure it doesn’t go bad in the packaging. While a quick alternative is never bad, prolonged processed food intake will take its toll.
When interviewed, students had some strong opinions, such as Deeksha’s (‘26) “I hate mashed potatoes.” An unbiased interviewee, Avi (‘26), who hasn’t “ever had instant or organic mashed potatoes” before, rated the importance of food being organic at a 20 on a scale of 1-32. Meanwhile, he rated the value of how quickly food is made at 12. A common sentiment was that “[Homemade] tastes better” according to Callista (‘26), although, a conclusion was not reached as to what makes it that way. A possible answer could be the processing that instant mashed potatoes go through, which negates their natural flavors, replacing them with salt. Andreas (‘26) summarized it well for many people, “Instant for time, homemade taste.”
