Just about everybody loves potatoes — which is a good thing, because they’re as good for you as they are delicious. Baked, roasted, creamed or mashed, potatoes are great for everyday meals as well as for entertaining.

Potatoes are a great source of the complex carbohydrates that fuel the body and brain. When eaten with the skin, potatoes are high in vitamin C with a healthy supply of fiber, vitamin B-6 and minerals like potassium.

The nutrients in potatoes offer these great health benefits:

• Fiber not only helps digestion, it also helps control your appetite because it makes you feel full
• Vitamin C is essential to healing wounds and maintaining bones and teeth
• Vitamin B-6 helps the immune system produce antibodies, which fight disease and help form red blood cells
• Potassium helps the kidneys work properly

Potatoes fall into two general categories: floury and waxy. Floury potatoes, such as russets, are low in moisture and high in starch. Waxy potatoes — such as red, white and Yukon golds — contain more moisture and have a firmer texture. New potatoes are immature potatoes of any variety; they’re creamy, thin skinned and small enough to serve whole.

Pick the perfect potatoes for each type of cooking:

• For boiling: round reds, round whites, long whites, new potatoes, Yukon golds
• For baking: russets
• For baked, creamy dishes (like scalloped potatoes): long whites, round reds and whites, Yukon golds
• For mashing: russets, Yukon golds
• For roasting: long whites, round reds and whites, small Yukon golds
• For steaming: long whites, round reds and whites

A medium-size baked potato has no fat, cholesterol or sodium and is just 100 calories. So skip the high-fat toppings and opt for a filling, tasty, low-calorie snack or side dish by adding fresh salsa or fat-free plain yogurt instead.