A common recommendation for diabetics is to replace regular potatoes with sweet potatoes, but this applies to everyone. When comparing the nutritional components of these two vegetables, the sweet potato is the better food choice, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Understanding these nutritional differences will help you gain insight into why you should be substituting sweet potatoes for regular potatoes in your diet even if you are not diabetic.
Glycemic Value
Sweet potatoes carry a significantly lower glycemic index score than regular potatoes. This is crucial for diabetics who are trying to keep their blood sugar levels balanced. The glycemic index is a measure on how quickly blood sugar levels rise when a particular food is eaten. Higher scores mean a food is absorbed and converted to glucose more quickly. Sweet potatoes have a glycemic index score of 61, which is moderate, while a baked white potato has a score of 85, which is considered high.
Calories
A 7-ounce serving of sweet potatoes contains 208 calories. Most of these calories come from carbohydrates, with some coming from protein and almost no calories coming from fat. The same 7-ounce serving of white potatoes contains 220 calories. As in the sweet potato, a majority of the calories in a white potato come from carbohydrates. Eating fewer calories is one key component of weight loss, so switching from white potatoes enables you to save 18 calories per serving. Performing this substitution consistently will save you many calories over time.
Fiber
Fiber is a non-digestible component of food that your body must process and eliminate as waste. High-fiber diets are associated with lower rates of colon cancer, heart disease and constipation, the Harvard School of Public Health reports. The sweet potato surpasses the white potato in fiber content, with each 7-ounce serving containing 5 g of fiber. The white potato contains 4 g of fiber per 7-ounce serving.
Nutrients
Sweet potatoes contain many important nutrients that are not found, or are not found as abundantly, in white potatoes. Based on a 7-ounce serving, sweet potatoes contain 49 mg of vitamin C, while white potatoes contain only 16 mg. Sweet potatoes contain a whopping 4350 RE of vitamin A, while white potatoes have no vitamin A. Calcium, important for bone health, is found in sweet potatoes in higher amounts than in white potatoes. A serving of sweet potatoes contains 56 mg of calcium, while white potatoes contain 20 mg.
References
- University of Illinois Extension: Sweet Potato
- Harvard Health Publications: Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load for 100+ Foods
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fiber -- Start Roughing It
- Gabe Mirkin; Sweet Potatoes vs. White Potatoes; February 2010
- North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission: Sweet Potato Nutrition
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: 10 Worst and Best Foods
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