Exploring Underused Starchy Food Crops to Extend Their Consumption: Mexico as Case of Study.

Mexico has one of the world's largest biodiversity, associated with the regions (forest, jungle, mountain, tropical) and the climate. The geography of Mexico induces favorable conditions for the growth of food crops. This article aims to show the characteristics of some starchy food crops consumed in diverse regions of México, which have functional and nutritional characteristics that can be exploited to extend their consumption in the country. The reported studies of those Mexican starchy food crops indicate the nutritional potential to directly consume those foods or use them as raw material to prepare new foods with functional properties due to those present bioactive compounds and dietary fiber. This review suggests diversification of those underutilized traditional Mexican starchy food crops with an impact on the agricultural producers.