Baked sweet potatoes contained more than double the fibre of the regular potato, with less starch but a lot more sugar. Looking at the micronutrients, again sweet potatoes come out on top in 10 of 12 of the minerals we measured (baked sweet and regular potatoes have the same amount of selenium, if you're wondering).
Both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes carry resistant starch content, but sweet potatoes do contain more antioxidants and fiber than regular potatoes and are just a little lower on the calorie scale, says Huggins.
Sweet potatoes are often touted as being healthier than white potatoes, but in reality, both types can be highly nutritious. While regular and sweet potatoes are comparable in their calorie, protein, and carb content, white potatoes provide more potassium, whereas sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A.
Sweet potatoes promote fullness, due to their high fiber and water content. This may lead you to eat fewer calories, which could lead to weight loss.
Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.
Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.
One cup of raw sweet potato contains about 114 calories, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of sugar, 2 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat. One cup of white potato has 116 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar, 3 grams of protein and 0 grams of fat.
Calories, Carbs and Fiber
In a 100-gram serving, which equals about 1/2 cup, cooked brown rice supplies more calories than a plain baked sweet potato, with 112 calories versus 90. It also contains slightly more carbs, with 24 grams in the rice and 21 in the potato.
The high water content in sweet potatoes makes them great for weight loss. Dehydration slows down your metabolism, further causing weight gain and other health problems. Consuming sweet potato helps rehydrate your cells and boost metabolic activity in the body.
Red Desiree Potatoes are part of the Red Potato family and are considered to be the healthiest of all potatoes, as they contain the highest levels of vitamins, minerals and healthy phytochemicals.
It's important to note that for the same amount of calories, carrots have almost double the Vitamin A and beta-carotene, 17+ fold more alpha-carotene, and contain lutein+xeaxanthin (whereas sweet potatoes don't have any!).
Sweet potatoes fall into the healthy carb category. A medium sweet potato has about 140 calories and 5 grams of fiber. Sweet potatoes also have a low glycemic index score.
One small sweet potato contains half the calories as a piece of toast. Vitamins A and C don't even register on the charts for bread, while sweet potatoes offer a good source of vitamin C and some potassium.
Both white rice and sweet potatoes provide similar amounts of carbohydrates and calories, but while white rice tends to be processed more than its cousin, sweet potatoes contain more fiber and offer a greater amount of nutrients. The result? It's better for your health to eat sweet potatoes instead of white rice.
Some Cautions. Sweet potatoes are starches and not low-carb vegetables, with about 20 net carbs per medium potato. If you're counting carbs, you might want to choose them only occasionally and not every day. Also, don't make sweet potatoes your only vegetable choice in a day.
In a nutrition battle between a banana and sweet potato, the sweet potato would come out ahead. A baked sweet potato has the same calories per gram as a banana, yet has one gram more fiber and five grams less sugar per medium serving.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fibre, which can help you lose weight and belly fat. The high fibre content of sweet potatoes makes you feel 'full' after your meal, helping you stick to a calorie-restricted diet. The root vegetable also contains a specific kind of fibre called resistant starch.
Both white potatoes and sweet potatoes actually have more vitamins and minerals to offer than pasta. Between the two, sweet potatoes are the best option. As you can see from the chart below, the amounts of vitamin A and C in sweet potatoes are excellent, and the extra fiber is a bonus.
1. Spinach And Other Leafy Greens. Spinach and other leafy green vegetables like kale, lettuce, etc. are great for burning belly fat and are very nutritious as well.
These veggies: certain vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale and cabbage contain special phytonutrients (fight-o-nutrients), such as indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which help to fight against environmental estrogens that can add belly fat.
Sweet potatoes contain high amounts of oxalates that may increase the risk of calcium-oxalate kidney stones. Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, and their excessive consumption can lead to hypervitaminosis A (vitamin A toxicity), in which excess vitamin A accumulates in the liver.
The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes has been shown to fight inflammation, and eating them regularly can help ease joint pain and other symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. If you're looking for a delicious way to reduce inflammation, add some sweet potatoes to a salad or bake alongside protein!
Research shows that sweet potatoes can lower your LDL "bad" cholesterol, which may lower your odds of heart problems.