How many calories are in a sweet potato?
USDA numbers for a sweet potato baked in its skin, per 100 g and per potato, with sugar, fiber and logging tips.
A sweet potato is often treated as a "free" food because it is orange and comes from the ground, but it is a starchy carbohydrate like any other potato. Baked in its skin with no salt, it has 90 calories per 100 g, almost the same as a plain white baked potato at 93. The thing people get wrong is portion size: sweet potatoes vary a lot in weight, so two "medium" potatoes can differ by 100 calories.
Calories in sweet potato per 100 g
According to USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy entry “Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt”), 100 g of sweet potato contains 90 calories (377 kJ), 2 g of protein, 21 g of carbohydrates and 0.1 g of fat.
| Nutrient (per 100 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 90 |
| Energy (kilojoules) | 377 kJ |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21 g |
| Fiber | 3.3 g |
| Sugars | 6.5 g |
| Total fat | 0.1 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g |
| Sodium | 36 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Potassium | 475 mg |
| Calcium | 38 mg |
| Iron | 0.7 mg |
| Vitamin C | 20 mg |
Calories per serving
Per-100 g numbers are only useful once you know your portion. Typical servings of sweet potato:
| Serving | Calories | kJ | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium (2" dia, 5" long, raw, 114 g) | 103 | 429 | 2.3 g | 24 g | 0.2 g |
| 1 large (180 g) | 162 | 678 | 3.6 g | 37 g | 0.3 g |
| 1 small (60 g) | 54 | 226 | 1.2 g | 12 g | 0.1 g |
| 1 cup (200 g) | 180 | 753 | 4 g | 41 g | 0.3 g |
Macro breakdown
By energy, sweet potato is about 90% carbohydrate, 9% protein and 1% fat (using 4 kcal per gram of protein and carbohydrate and 9 kcal per gram of fat).
By calories a sweet potato is about 90% carbohydrate, with 6.5 g of natural sugar and 3.3 g of fiber per 100 g, so it digests more slowly than its sweetness suggests. It is also a solid source of potassium (475 mg per 100 g) and vitamin C (19.6 mg per 100 g).
How sweet potato compares with similar foods
| Food (per 100 g) | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baked potato | 93 | 2.5 g | 21 g | 0.1 g |
| Green peas | 84 | 5.4 g | 16 g | 0.2 g |
| Mashed potatoes | 113 | 1.9 g | 17 g | 4.2 g |
| Carrots | 41 | 0.9 g | 9.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Onion | 40 | 1.1 g | 9.3 g | 0.1 g |
Is sweet potato good for weight loss?
Sweet potato is a reasonable carbohydrate choice when you are losing weight, as long as you weigh it. At 90 calories per 100 g it is moderate in calorie density, and the fiber and water content make it more filling than bread or crackers for the same calories. A medium sweet potato (114 g) is about 103 calories, a large one (180 g) about 162, and a full cup of cooked flesh (200 g) about 180. Where calories pile up is in preparation: brown sugar, marshmallows, butter or a deep fryer can double or triple the total. Bake or roast it plain, keep the skin for the fiber, and treat it as the carbohydrate portion of the meal rather than as a vegetable side.
How to log sweet potato in Cal.AI
Scan Food works well on a whole or halved sweet potato, but the camera cannot see weight, so use Fix Results to adjust the portion when you know yours is bigger or smaller than the default. A medium sweet potato is about 114 g (103 calories) and a large one about 180 g (162 calories); a cup of cooked cubes is about 200 g (180 calories). The common mistake is choosing a generic "sweet potato" entry that is actually candied or fried, so check the description before you save it as a favorite.
Frequently asked questions
How many calories are in a medium sweet potato?
A medium sweet potato (about 114 g) baked in its skin has about 103 calories, with 2.3 g of protein, 23.6 g of carbohydrate and 0.2 g of fat (USDA). A small one (60 g) is about 54 calories and a large one (180 g) about 162. Weighing it is the only reliable way to know, because size varies widely.
Is a sweet potato lower in calories than a regular potato?
Barely. USDA data lists 90 calories per 100 g for a baked sweet potato and 93 per 100 g for a plain baked white potato with skin, so for weight loss they are interchangeable. The sweet potato has more fiber (3.3 g vs 2.2 g per 100 g) and more sugar (6.5 g vs 1.2 g), while the white potato has slightly more potassium.
How much sugar is in a sweet potato?
About 6.5 g of natural sugar per 100 g, so a medium baked sweet potato (114 g) has roughly 7.4 g and a large one (180 g) about 11.7 g (USDA). That sugar is part of the 20.7 g of total carbohydrate per 100 g, not added sugar, and it comes alongside 3.3 g of fiber, which slows how quickly it is absorbed.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, SR Legacy: “Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt” (FDC ID 168483). FoodData Central
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