Potato Chips belong in Food Pyramid

On a recent family vacation we stopped at the Cape Cod Potato Chips Company. Cape Cod potato chips are my families favorite, but with recent diet changes I have nearly eliminated potato chips and other snack foods from the pantry. So touring the plant and sampling their product was a treat.
The Cape Cod Potato Chip Company was founded in 1980 by Stephen and Lynn Bernard (thank you!) in Hyannis, MA. They now produce over 80,000 bags a day with the motto of "To make the best potato chips possible". And, as far as my family is concerned, they are the best!
Here is what we learned from our tour:
* It takes approximately 4 pounds of potatoes to make 1 pound of potato chips because a potato is mostly water. (I wonder if anyone thought of bottling the 3 pounds of water? - yuck)
* They use approximately 39 million pounds of potatoes a year. That is 1,400 acres of potatoes.(I was going to compare this to a football field but that required too much math on my part)
* They work closely with farmers from Maine to North Carolina to ensure a steady supply of higher quality potato. (did you know that in Idaho there are no potato chip manufacturers?)
* Each truck load of potatoes are sampled for specific gravity (how much water it has; less is better), sizing (grading) and raw potato defect level (not sure what this is). A sample is done to see how well the potato will "chip". After approval the potatoes are peeled with a brush peeler (not a 'potato peeler' as I would have thought), inspected, washed and precisely weighted.
* Potatoes are sliced and put directly into Cape Cod's unique kettle fryers. They are stirred to guarantee an even cook and than placed in a centrifuge where the excess oil is spun off (I told you these chips are good - no excess oil).
* The cooked chips are individually inspected by hand and salted. (images of Lucille Ball and the chocolate candy conveyor come to my mind). All discarded chips are considered organic waste and farmers use them for animal feed (yes! - recycling!)
* Most of the Cape Cod Potato Chips are "all natural" and all of the chips have NO added preservatives. The combination of fresh potatoes and the special "Kettle" cooking process produces a heartier potato flavor (could I say healthier).

The government Food Pyramid states a 30 year old women should have 2-3 cups of any vegetable (a potato) a day. Vegetables may be raw or cooked; fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated; and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. After learning how Cape Cod Potato Chips are made, I really think "kettled cooked" potatoes need to move to the top of the Food Pyramid.