When looking for high-quality carbohydrates, you may bypass white potatoes in favor of sweet potatoes. The two types of potato contain similar amounts of carbohydrates, but sweet potatoes contain more fiber than white potatoes. When baked and not fried, both types of potatoes offer important nutrients, along with their carbohydrates, that make them a healthy part of any diet.
About Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide energy for activity and the functioning of your internal organs. Carbohydrates come in the form of starches, sugars or fiber. The body cannot digest fiber, but it is an important dietary component as it helps keep your intestinal tract regular and helps lower cholesterol levels. You need between 20 and 30 g of fiber per day, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Your body breaks down sugars and starches to create simple sugar, which provides energy for muscles and organs.
Carbohydrates in Potatoes
A 100 g serving of baked sweet potato, or approximately 1/2 cup, contains 21 g of carbohydrates. Of those, 3 g are fiber and 6 g are sugar -- the rest of the carbohydrates come from starches. A 100 g serving of baked white potato also contains 21 g of carbohydrates, with 2 g of fiber and 1 g of sugar. Although not all starches are broken down at the same rate, the types found in potatoes break down and hit the bloodstream quickly.
Glycemic Load
The rate at which your body breaks down a specific type of carbohydrate influences how quickly the food raises your blood sugar levels. The glycemic load is a way of measuring this impact on your system and takes into account how many carbohydrates are in a food and how they affect your blood sugar levels. The carbohydrates in white russet potatoes have a higher glycemic load than those in sweet potatoes, thus causing your levels of blood glucose, or sugar, to rise more quickly. White boiled potatoes have a lower glycemic index and load than sweet potatoes.
Nutrition
Despite what some diet plans say, all carbohydrates are not bad for the body. Along with providing energy, many carbohydrate-rich foods provide essential nutrients. Sweet potatoes provide more than 100 percent of your daily value for vitamin A in a 100 g serving. Sweet potatoes are also a better source of vitamin C, vitamin B-6, manganese and calcium than white potatoes. White potatoes offer more folate and potassium than sweet potatoes, however.
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