The sweet potato plant has the scientific name Ipomoea batatas, although it's not a close relative of the true potato, or Solanum tuberosum. The tuberous root of the sweet potato plant is edible, and is commonly marketed as a yam in the United States. Sweet potatoes are low in fat and very high in vitamin A.
Serving Information
MyFitnessPal provides nutritional information on the sweet potato. This data applies to a whole sweet potato baked with the skin on, but without salt. The serving size is one medium sweet potato about 2 inches in diameter and 5 inches in length.
Calories
A medium sweet potato contains a total of 103 calories. Carbohydrates contribute 95 calories, and proteins provide the remaining 8 calories. A sweet potato provides about 5 percent of the daily value for calories, assuming a diet of 2,000 calories per day.
Protein and Fat
A serving of sweet potatoes contains 2 g of protein per serving, or 4 percent of the daily value for protein. Sweet potatoes contain no fats of any type, including saturated fats, unsaturated fats or trans fats. Sweet potatoes also contain no cholesterol.
Carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes have 24 g of total carbohydrates per serving, or 8 percent of the daily value for carbohydrates. This includes 4 g of dietary fiber, which is 16 percent of the daily value for dietary fiber. The carbohydrates in a sweet potato also include 10 g of simple sugar.
Vitamins and Minerals
A sweet potato has 438 percent of the daily value for vitamin A and 37 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. It also contains 4 percent of the daily value for calcium and iron. A sweet potato provides 542 mg of potassium, or about 11.5 percent of the daily value for potassium. The sodium content of a sweet potato is 41 mg, which is less than 2 percent of the daily value for sodium.
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