Calories in Russet Potatoes vs Sweet Potatoes

Understanding the Calorie Content in Potatoes

Potatoes are nutritious, affordable, and versatile staple foods. Two of the most popular varieties include russet potatoes and sweet potatoes. When monitoring calorie intake, many wonder how these tasty tubers compare.

Russet Potatoes

Russet potatoes feature a brown, netted skin with white flesh. They have a mildly sweet flavor profile and light, fluffy texture when cooked. Known for making excellent baked potatoes and French fries, they work well in a range of applications.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have reddish-purple skin with vivid orange flesh. They possess a naturally sweeter taste and smooth, creamy texture after cooking. Their adaptable flavor and ability to be prepared in endless ways have contributed to their rising popularity.

Calories in Russet vs Sweet Potatoes

How do the calorie counts of these tubers compare?

Calories in Russet Potatoes

One medium russet potato (5”-8” long), weighing about 168 grams, contains:

• Calories: 168
• Carbohydrates: 37 grams
• Dietary fiber: 3 grams
• Sugars: 3 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 5 grams

Russets provide significant calories largely from their high carbohydrate content. However, with 37 grams of carbs, a medium russet potato remains well under the daily recommended target for carb intake.

Calories in Sweet Potatoes

One medium sweet potato (5”-6” long) weighing about 114 grams contains:

• Calories: 103
• Carbohydrates: 23 grams
• Dietary fiber: 4 grams
• Sugars: 7 grams
• Fat: 0 grams
• Protein: 2 grams

Sweet potatoes provide fewer total calories in a typical single serving. Their carb content is also lower, with only 23 grams per medium spud.

Comparing Calorie Density

Calculating the calorie density, or number of calories per gram, offers another useful comparison:

• Russet potatoes: 1 calorie per 1 gram
• Sweet potatoes: 0.9 calories per 1 gram

Accounting for differences in standard serving sizes, russet potatoes and sweet potatoes have very similar calorie density profiles. This makes sense given their comparable nutritional makeup.

Impact on Weight Loss

When incorporated as part of a balanced, calorie-controlled diet, both russet white potatoes and sweet potatoes can play a role in supporting weight loss.

Satiety Benefits

One reason potatoes work well for weight loss ties to nutrition components that enhance satiety, including:

• Fiber
• Resistant starch
• High water content
• High volume foods for chewing satisfaction

Thanks to these factors, enjoying potatoes leads to increased fullness both during and after a meal. This means you naturally eat fewer calories overall.

Nutrient Density

Potatoes provide a powerhouse package of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients. When substituting a potato instead of other high-carb options like rice or pasta, you benefit from greater nutrient returns for every calorie consumed.

Choosing potatoes over other sides or snacks allows you to feel more satisfied while still meeting daily nutrition needs within your target calorie range for weight management.

Preparation Methods

How you prepare potatoes makes a significant difference in retaining their weight loss advantages. Enjoy them baked, roasted or sautéed instead of fried while keeping toppings light to prevent unnecessary added calories.

Comparing Glycemic Index

Understanding differences in glycemic response offers useful insight for diabetes management or regulating energy levels.

Glycemic Index of Russet Potatoes

Russet potatoes have a high glycemic index, ranging from 70-110 depending on preparation method. They cause a quick rise in blood glucose and insulin response.

Glycemic Index of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have a much lower glycemic index of 44-77. They promote a slower, smaller elevation in blood sugar. The unique antioxidants in sweet potatoes also enhance insulin sensitivity.

Comparing Glycemic Load

Looking beyond glycemic index to glycemic load paints a more comprehensive picture accounting for standard serving sizes. Glycemic load estimates the total impact on blood sugar for a typical portion.

Based on glycemic load:

• Medium russet potato: 26
• Medium sweet potato: 15

Per serving typically eaten, sweet potatoes have less effect on blood sugar than russet potatoes. However, both remain under the high glycemic load threshold of 20.

Tips for Stabilizing Blood Sugar

Some easy ways to help leverage stable energy from both potato varieties include:

• Keeping skin on for extra fiber
• Pairing with fats, protein or vinegar to slow digestion
• Cooling briefly post-cooking to alter starches

Following a few simple preparation and serving tricks enables enjoying potatoes without unwanted blood glucose spikes.

Potassium Content

Both kinds provide excellent sources of the essential mineral potassium. Getting adequate potassium supports healthy fluid balance, bone strength, muscle function and correcting sodium levels.

Russet Potatoes

One medium russet potato offers 950 milligrams potassium. That equals 20% of the recommended daily target for adult women and 15% for adult men.

Sweet Potatoes

A medium sweet potato contains 542 milligrams potassium. That totals around 12% of the daily recommended intake level.

For supporting sufficient potassium status without excess calories, russet potatoes contain nearly double the amount of this key nutrient per serving compared to sweet potatoes.

Antioxidant Value

Both types of tubers provide antioxidants that confer anti-inflammatory effects and other health benefits. Two antioxidants play the biggest roles in potatoes:

• Vitamin C
• Polyphenols like chlorogenic acid

Vitamin C Content

One medium sweet potato offers about 37 milligrams vitamin C. That same size russet potato contains 20 milligrams. Sweet potatoes edge out russets when it comes to this free radical fighting vitamin.

Polyphenol Concentrations

The polyphenol content differs greatly, with sweet potatoes possessing much more:

• Russet potatoes: Around 160 milligrams per medium spud
• Sweet potatoes: Approximately 800 milligrams per medium spud

Sweet potatoes have a far greater concentration of these protective plant compounds. Their vibrant orange pigment signals an abundance of health-enhancing polyphenolic antioxidants not found to the same degree in the white-fleshed russets.

The Bottom Line

For those monitoring their daily calorie consumption, russet potatoes contain moderately more calories per average medium-size serving compared to sweet potatoes. However, sweet and russet potatoes have very close calorie density.

Enjoyed in moderation within a balanced eating plan, both russet and sweet potatoes can support weight loss. With some simple preparation adjustments, they also offer stable energy levels.

While sweet potatoes edge out russets when it comes to certain antioxidants, russet potatoes contain substantially more potassium. In the end, America’s top two favorite potatoes boast similar nutritional attributes while adding their own special twist.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.