Ignored by dieters because they are 'fattening', few would class the potato as a 'wonder food' packed full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
But the spud is actually better for the body than traditional superfoods - such as bananas, broccoli, beetroot, nuts and avocado, a study has found.
The researchers said people are wrong to shun it in favour of modern and more expensive alternatives.
Superfood: The potato has been disregarded as 'fattening' and shunned in favour of alternatives such as bananas, broccoli and avocado
A jacket potato has five-and-a-half times as much fibre as the average banana - and is packed with more vitamin C than is found in three avocados, the Daily Express reported.
Last year a separate study discovered that eating spuds twice a day can lower blood pressure - and contrary to popular perceptions it won't make you put on weight.
Food for thought: Potatoes have five and a half times as much fibre as a banana
The new research also found that the potato contains more of the mineral selenium than the average child gets from all the seeds and nuts they consume.
The study was completed by the independent nutritionist Sigrid Gibson on behalf of the Potato Council.
They have produced a mobile phone app which compares how good potatoes are with the traditional superfoods.
Sian Porter, the Potato Council's consultant dietitian, told the Daily Express: 'It is important to have a wide variety of foods in your diet but sometimes our heads are turned by new things and we underestimate old favourites like potatoes and how they compare to other, often more expensive "superfoods".'
The researchers analysed the food intake of 876 children and 948 adults for the study.
Sigrid Gibson added: ' We think of bananas as being a good source of potassium, and they are, but potatoes make a more significant contribution to the diet.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2142256/The-ultimate-wonder-food-The-humble-potato-nutrients-vitamins-minerals-traditional-superfoods.html#ixzz1uUbAMHnh
