White potatoes vs sweet potatoes: Which spud is healthier?

In the food fight of which tuber is best, white potatoes and sweet potatoes go head to head in this battle. But which potato comes out on top?  Is one of them nutritionally superior to the other?

First, both white and sweet potatoes can be part of a healthy way of eating.  This article is not saying you should only eat one while totally excluding the other.  Both have good to excellent qualities about them and have much to offer. But, if you want to know which one is “healthier” overall, then read on.

Let’s start by looking at them as equals as in comparing them as a baked white potato and a baked sweet potato. Each of them is an excellent source of fiber and both are loaded with powerful nutrients.  Here is a side-by-side comparison of medium-sized potatoes of each:

                    White Potato                                                     Sweet Potato

Calories:             130                                                                    95

Carbohydrates      29 grams                                                         24 grams

Fiber                      3 grams                                                            4 grams

Protein                   3 grams                                                            2 grams

Vitamin A            14 International Units (IU)                       22,000 IU

Vitamin C          17.4 milligrams                                                   22 milligrams

Vitamin B6         0.3 milligrams                                                    0.3 milligrams

Potassium         750 milligrams                                                    542 milligrams

Magnesium        37 milligrams                                                      31 milligrams

Fat                        0 grams                                                               0 grams

Cholesterol           0 milligrams                                                       0 milligrams

As you can see, both are loaded with important nutrients boosting your health and have a similar nutrition profile.  However, sweet potatoes win by a whopping 400% of your daily requirement of vitamin A making them a top-notch source of this fat-soluble vitamin.  Sweet potatoes also have more vitamin C, fewer calories, more fiber and fewer total carbs than white potatoes. 

Here are some of nutrients each potato provides and how they benefit your health:

·      Vitamin A – Necessary for eye health and good vision

·      Vitamin C – Boost the immune system

·      Vitamin B6  - Important for metabolism and the nervous system

·      Potassium and magnesium – Both beneficial for regulating blood pressure

·      Iron – Boost red blood cells and prevents iron deficiency anemia

·      Fiber – The fiber in both potatoes is found in the skin and in the inside.  They each contain insoluble fiber which provides roughage and soluble fiber which slows down digestion and helps with weight management.

What about how potatoes are prepared?

A major factor that can make or break the nutritional power of potatoes is how they are prepared. Both white and sweet potatoes are very versatile in how they are eaten making their preparation method a strong influence on the impact on your health. 

If either one is fried in oil, this increases the calories in both meaning with each bite you are taking in more calories, plus the salt content of fried potatoes tends to be high.  If your main way of eating potatoes is fried and salted - i.e. French fries, hash browns, etc. - this can increase your risk for high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Better, healthier cooking methods for either white or sweet potatoes are to prepare them baked, boiled, grilled, or roasted.

So, which potato wins?

Overall, the winner between which potato is healthier is…sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes win for several reasons:

·      They have more fiber

·      They have much more vitamin C

·      They have fewer carbohydrates

·      They have a lower glycemic index which is a measure of how quickly blood glucose levels rise after eating.

·      They are a brightly colored tuber which means they are loaded with much more vitamin A and are rich in the anti-oxidant beta-carotene.

No matter which potato you prefer, both white and sweet potatoes can be enjoyed if eaten in moderation and cooked without excess fat and salt.