Potatoes of any type don't fit well into a low-carbohydrate diet. As with most fruits and vegetables, the majority of the potato's calories come from carbs. Although the starchy veggies also deliver plenty of fiber if you eat them with skin, they may not fill you up quite as effectively as alternatives that are rich in both fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Nutrition Basics
Potatoes have an ample amount of simple carbohydrates, which are quickly digested and can provide the body with a convenient supply of energy. However, that energy isn't likely to last as long as the energy you get from complex carbohydrates, which are more slowly digested. Thus, you may get hungry again sooner if you eat a potato than if you eat a slice or two of whole-grain bread. In fact, the Harvard School of Public Health urges you to "bag the potatoes" and go for vegetables that have a greater variety of nutrients instead.
Carb Values
Sweet potatoes and white potatoes have very similar carbohydrate counts. A medium baked sweet potato with its skin on weighs about 115 g and contains 103 calories and 23.6 g of carbohydrates, with 8 g of starch, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA. A white potato of the same weight, baked with skin, has about 106 calories, 24.1 g of carbohydrates and 19.7 g of starch. For comparison purposes, two slices of whole-wheat bread have about 138 calories and 23.1 g of carbohydrates.
Factors
If you want to cut down on total carbs, it can be wise to skip potatoes in favor of other veggies, since nonstarchy vegetables have considerably fewer carbohydrate grams. A cup of cooked spinach, for example, has just 41 calories and 6.75 g of carbohydrates. You can also choose to get your carbs via whole grains. Although grains have higher carb counts per serving than potatoes and other veggies, many offer more dietary fiber, which means the digestion process takes longer and you may feel full for longer.
Considerations
Despite their relatively high carb count, potatoes are still a very nutritious vegetable. However, sweet potatoes offer more vitamins and minerals. According to a 2006 article from USDA researchers and published in the journal "Food Chemistry," sweet potatoes contain more antioxidants than white potatoes, including anthocyanins, tocopherol, beta carotene and phenolic acids.
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