Is Sweet Potato Healthier Than Potato?

Short answer: These are baked sweet-potato flesh and baked regular potato with flesh and skin, without salt. Sweet potato has more fiber and sugar in these records; toppings and frying change the comparison.

Selected foods: Sweet potato, baked and Baked potatoes. These specific preparations are compared below.

Which to pick for your goal

If you want	Better pick	The numbers
Fewer calories	About the same	sweet potato 90 kcal, potato 93 kcal per 100 g
More protein	About the same	sweet potato 2 g, potato 2.5 g per 100 g
More fiber (keeps you full)	Sweet Potato	3.3 g vs 2.2 g per 100 g
Less sugar	Potato	1.2 g vs 6.5 g per 100 g
Overall (Nutri-Score)	Potato	A vs B

Small differences count as a tie: a few calories or a few tenths of a gram won't change your day.

Nutrition side by side, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Sweet Potato	Potato
Calories	90 kcal	93 kcal
Protein	2 g	2.5 g
Fat	0.2 g	0.1 g
incl. saturated	0.1 g	0 g
Total carbohydrates	21 g	21 g
incl. sugars	6.5 g	1.2 g
incl. fiber	3.3 g	2.2 g
Salt	0.1 g	0 g
Nutri-Score	B	A

Rounded values from exact USDA records (see * Data and sources below). Different brands, cuts and recipes can have different values. Diary food cards and the alternative versions below retain their own typical recipes.

For the same amount: 50 g

Equal amount	Sweet Potato	Potato
Calories	45 kcal	47 kcal
Protein	1 g	1.3 g
incl. saturated	0 g	0 g
incl. sugars	3.2 g	0.6 g
incl. fiber	1.7 g	1.1 g

In a typical serving

One serving	Sweet Potato	Potato
Serving	one, 150 g (5.3 oz)	serving, 180 g (6.3 oz)
Calories	135 kcal	167 kcal
Protein	3 g	4.5 g
Fiber	4.9 g	4 g
Sugars	9.7 g	2.1 g
Easy walking to burn it*	44 min	55 min

* For a 70 kg (154 lb) person; the app works it out for your weight and your activities.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Blood sugar angle

Sweet potato has 21 g of carbohydrate per 100 g (6.5 g sugars, 3.3 g fiber); Potato has 21 g (1.2 g sugars, 2.2 g fiber). This table is not a measured glycemic-response comparison; the amount eaten and the rest of the meal matter. Glycemic index values vary by variety, ripeness and cooking, so treat any single number with caution — and eat either with vegetables and some protein.

Other versions: typical diary estimates

The first two rows repeat the selected USDA records; other rows are typical diary estimates, without an exact source-record match. The cut, fat level or recipe can change the result. Per 100 g:

Per 100 g	Calories	Protein	Sat. fat	Sugars	Fiber	Nutri-Score
Sweet Potato	90	2 g	0.1 g	6.5 g	3.3 g	B
Potato	93	2.5 g	0 g	1.2 g	2.2 g	A
Potatoes, boiled	82	2 g	0.1 g	0.9 g	1.8 g	B
Potatoes, fried	190	2.8 g	1.3 g	0.9 g	2.1 g	C

*Data and sources

Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt — USDA FDC 168483 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).
Potatoes, baked, flesh and skin, without salt — USDA FDC 170093 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).

Retrieved 2 October 2026. USDA composition is per 100 g; drink values per 100 ml use the record’s measured household weight, with the USDA customary cup of 236.6 ml. Displayed cup servings remain 240 ml. Carbohydrate includes fiber on this US site; salt is sodium × 2.5. The food records are historical reference values, not current brand guarantees.

WHO guideline on free sugars: honey, syrups and fruit-juice sugars count as free sugars. WHO guideline on saturated and trans fats: consider replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

FAQ

Which has fewer calories, sweet potato or potato?

They're about the same: sweet potato 90 kcal, potato 93 kcal per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 135 kcal for sweet potato (one, 150 g) and 167 kcal for potato (serving, 180 g).

Is sweet potato or potato better for weight loss?

No single food makes you gain or lose weight — the day's total does. Gram for gram they're close in calories (sweet potato 90 kcal, potato 93 kcal per 100 g), so neither is a shortcut. The portion usually matters more: a typical serving of sweet potato (one, 150 g) is 135 kcal, of potato (serving, 180 g) 167 kcal.

Which has more fiber, sweet potato or potato?

Sweet potato: 3.3 g vs 2.2 g per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 4.9 g for sweet potato and 4 g for potato — and most adults eat less fiber than dietary guidelines recommend.

Which has less sugar, sweet potato or potato?

Potato: 1.2 g vs 6.5 g per 100 g. A typical serving has 9.7 g of sugars for sweet potato and 2.1 g for potato.

Does this comparison apply to every brand or recipe?

No. The main table uses the two specific USDA foods named and linked on this page. Fat level, ingredients, trimming, cooking and water content can change the result. Use the same amount for a fair comparison and check the label for the product you actually eat.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.