I saw something on the Pocatello, Idaho news about fresh potatoes being excluded from the WIC programs for purchasing fruit or vegetables. The quote that disturbed me was that someone who owned a health store there was quoted as saying that a large potato contains a cup of sugar. Is that possible?

The Farm Babe - Sugar Content in Potatoes

Potatoes are healthy, filling, and can be a great part of nearly everyone’s eating habits. The old saying goes “It’s what you put on the potato that you have to worry about if you want to eat healthy.” There is no difference in going to a salad bar and choosing the right things if you load the greens up with a ladle of salad dressing or taking a baked potato and loading it up with butter, sour cream and bacon.  Try salsa on a baked potato, it’s zippy and tastes great! Now back to your question… a large baked potato does have about 4 grams of sugar, or the equivalent of one level tablespoon. Here is the rest of the nutritional story:http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2770/2

By the way, a typical can of soda has 37 grams of sugar or 7 ½ tablespoons per portion.