Grits and potatoes are simply flavorless items to bulk out food with flavor. Every time someone says they like potatoes I ask how they like them. The response is always something like, with butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese, onion, chili, salt, pepper, etc.
As a stand alone food, both are useless.
There is almost not a single vegetable that is a stand alone food. They all need even a little preparation to be worth enjoying.