Special Diets Diabetes Diet Center Are Sweet Potatoes Better than White Potatoes? We take a look at the nutrition of both potatoes and compare them to see which is healthier. By Lisa Valente, M.S., RD Lisa Valente, M.S., RD Instagram Lisa Valente is a registered dietitian and nutrition editor. She studied at the University of Vermont, where she completed her undergraduate studies in nutrition, food science and dietetics, and attended the dietetic internship program at Massachusetts General Hospital to become a registered dietitian. She went on to earn a master's degree in nutrition communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. She was a nutrition editor at EatingWell for eight years. Prior to EatingWell, Lisa worked as a research dietitian at Griffin Hospital in Connecticut and also taught cooking and nutrition classes. She was a featured speaker at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in 2017. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 28, 2018 Share Tweet Pin Email Pictured recipe: Scalloped Sweet Potatoes People often want to know if sweet potatoes have a leg up on white potatoes. Both are vegetables that contain vitamins and minerals for a healthy body. But does one have a leg up nutritionally on the other? Here we compare the nutrition in sweet potatoes and white potatoes and offer delicious ways to enjoy both taters. Sweet potato nutrition 1 medium baked sweet potato has about 100 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Sweet potatoes are full of slowly digested carbohydrates for sustained energy. Each medium sweet potato also delivers four times your daily vitamin A to help build hemoglobin, needed to deliver energizing oxygen to cells throughout your body. White potato nutrition White potatoes get a bad reputation. That's because most people consume them as French fries-and those don't exactly scream health food. But this vegetable doesn't deserve the negative rap. 1 medium baked russet potato with skin has about 170 calories, 37 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Potatoes are rich in potassium, delivering more potassium than a banana and 26 percent of your daily value. Potatoes also contain resistant starch, a type your body can't digest which keeps you feeling full. Pictured recipe: Garlic-Rosemary Smashed Potatoes Which potato is healthier? Both potatoes are a healthy carbohydrate source. And the same amount of white potatoes and sweet potatoes contain about the same amount of carbohydrates (1/2 cup = 15 grams of carbs). Sweet potatoes, however, have more fiber and are slightly lower on the glycemic index than white potatoes. For this reason, blood glucose will rise a little more gradually with sweet potatoes than with white potatoes. If you have diabetes, keep in mind the importance of portion size and distribution of carbohydrate-rich foods throughout the day. Related: Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes: Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes Healthy White Potato Recipes: Healthy White Potato Recipes The Best and Worst Fruits to Eat If You Have Diabetes: The Best and Worst Fruits to Eat If You Have Diabetes Some original reporting by Virginia Zamudio Lange, R.N., M.S.N., CDE, for Diabetic Living Magazine. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit