Calories in Baked Sweet Potatoes vs White Potatoes

Calories in Baked Potatoes Versus Sweet Potatoes

Both white and sweet potatoes make for nutritious, delicious baked spuds, but many wonder whether one variety packs more calories per serving. Understanding differences in calories and nutritional value can help guide choices for weight loss, diabetes management or simply mixing up your next potato dish!

Caloric Differences

A medium white potato baked with skin contains 161 calories. Comparably, a medium sweet potato baked in skin has 103 calories. So sweet potatoes contain over 50 fewer calories per average sized spud.

Exact calorie counts change a bit depending on the specific potato size:

• Small baked white potato (5 oz): 128 calories
• Small baked sweet potato (5 oz) : 82 calories
• Medium baked white potato (6.5 oz): 161 calories
• Medium baked sweet potato (6.5 oz): 103 calories
• Large baked white potato (8 oz): 202 calories
• Large baked sweet potato (8 oz) : 131 calories

Portion Size Matters

When preparing baked potatoes, keep portion sizes moderate as spuds pack a lot of calories and carbs, even in healthy whole food form. Sticking to a medium potato is ideal, but even a large sweet potato has fewer calories than a white potato of any size.

Nutritional Pros and Cons

Beyond calories, sweet and white potatoes differ nutritionally in a few key ways:

Fiber

Sweet potatoes have more fiber. A medium baked sweet potato with skin has over 4 grams fiber, while white potatoes contain about 3 grams.

Vitamin A

Sweet potatoes are incredibly high in antioxidant Vitamin A from beta carotene. A medium baked sweet potato meets over 100% your daily Vitamin A needs. White potatoes contain no Vitamin A.

Vitamin C

White potatoes actually contain slightly more Vitamin C with a medium baked potato providing about 30% your daily value, while sweet potatoes have under 20%. Still both are great Vitamin C sources.

Potassium

An average sweet potato baked in skin has about 542 grams potassium. White potatoes come in a little lower with 421 grams potassium per medium spud.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. Sweet potatoes have more fiber and a lower glycemic load making them less likely to cause spikes and crashes in blood sugar after eating.

Maximizing Nutrition in Baked Potatoes

When baking both varieties of tubers, keep the skin on and avoid loading up with high calories toppings to enjoy max nutrition from your spuds. Some healthy toppings ideas include:

• Roasted vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, peppers or onions
• Black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas or lentils
• Avocado chunks
• Green onions or chives
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Cooked spinach or kale
• Crumbled feta or goat cheese
• Fresh salsa

Comparing Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes for Weight Loss

Both types of tubers can be enjoyed as part of healthy diet geared towards losing extra pounds due to their fiber, nutrients, and ability to satisfy hunger. However, sweet potatoes may have a slight edge for weight loss.

Calorie Count

With about 50 fewer calories per average sized baked potato, sweet potatoes let you fill up for less calorically allowing for greater calorie deficits that promote shedding unwanted pounds.

Filling Fiber

The extra gram fiber in sweet potatoes helps you feel full and satisfied on less. This fibrousy fullness reduces cravings for unhealthy snacks and overeating at main meals helpful behaviors for losing weight.

Stable Energy and Appetite

Due to their lower ranking on the glycemic index, sweet potatoes provide longer lasting energy. You wont experience intense hunger, crashes in blood sugar or sluggishness. This allows sticking to a consistent healthy diet without succumbing to cravings or temptations.

Nutrient Density

Nutrients like protein, fiber and antioxidants in sweet potatoes help regulate appetite hormones, reduce inflammation and cravings and optimize healthy metabolism needed for shedding pounds.

Glycemic Index and Diabetes Management

For those managing diabetes or pursuing a low glycemic diet, sweet potatoes come out on top due to less impact on blood sugar regulation.

Sweet Potatoes Rank Low

On the glycemic index, sweet potatoes rank at a 46 compared to white potatoes which come in at a higher glycemic index of 77 (pure glucose is 100).

Less Blood Sugar Spikes

Due to sweet potatos lower glycemic load, they cause less dramatic spikes (and subsequent crashes) in blood sugar levels which is preferred for diabetes management.

Extra Fiber Saves Carbs

The extra gram fiber brings down the glycemic load in sweet potatoes even more. This saves carbs allowing you to fit this healthy complex carb into diabetes meal planning.

Promote Sugar Balance Naturally

Compounds in sweet potatoes like anthocyanins actually support sugar balance and insulin regulation in the body helping manage diabetes internally with whole food nutrition.

The Bottom Line

Both white and sweet potatoes can be part of healthy diet for weight loss or diabetes management. Sweet potatoes edge out white potatoes slightly with extra nutrition, fewer calories per average portion and lower ranking on the glycemic index.

However, both provide beneficial nutrients like fiber, magnesium, Vitamin C and potassium. The specific variety matters less than enjoying potatoes in moderation as part of balanced eating focused on whole foods.

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.