Sweet Potato vs White Potato: Carbs, Potassium and Nutrition Compared
The carb counts are nearly identical — the "healthier carb" story is more nuanced than you think
Per 100g of raw, peeled flesh, sweet potato and russet potato carry almost the same carbohydrate load: 17.3g vs 17.8g. Both are excellent potassium sources — sweet potato at 486mg and russet at 450mg. From there they split: russet offers more protein (2.3g vs 1.6g), niacin (1.5mg vs 0.43mg) and vitamin B6 (0.157mg vs 0.124mg), while sweet potato brings almost three times the calcium (22.3mg vs 7.8mg) and, of course, the orange-flesh carotenoids it is famous for.
Key Nutrients Compared (per 100g)
| Nutrient | Sweet Potato | White Potato (Russet) |
|---|---|---|
| Protein (g) | 1.58 | 2.27 |
| Total Fat (g) | 0.38 | 0.36 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 17.33 | 17.77 |
| Sodium (mg) | 0 | 2.74 |
Source: Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw (FDC ID 2346404), Potatoes, russet, without skin, raw (FDC ID 2346401)
Which Should You Pick?
For carb counting
A tie
17.3g vs 17.8g of carbohydrate per 100g raw — the "sweet potatoes are lighter carbs" assumption doesn't survive the data.
For potassium
Sweet potato (barely)
486mg vs 450mg per 100g. Both beat most fruits; either works for potassium-focused eating.
For protein and B vitamins
Russet potato
More protein (2.3g vs 1.6g), over 3x the niacin (1.5mg vs 0.43mg) and more B6 (0.157mg vs 0.124mg).
For calcium
Sweet potato
22.3mg vs 7.8mg per 100g — modest in absolute terms, but nearly a 3x edge.
The carb myth, measured
Sweet potatoes are widely framed as the "clean" carb and white potatoes as the indulgent one, but per 100g of raw flesh they are separated by half a gram of carbohydrate (17.3g vs 17.8g) and a fraction of a gram of fat (both about 0.4g). The genuine differences are in the micronutrient column — niacin and B6 favoring the russet, calcium and potassium slightly favoring the sweet potato — not in the macro sheet that usually drives the debate.
Preparation swings the numbers more than the species
These values describe raw, peeled flesh. What lands on your plate depends mostly on what happens next: frying any potato multiplies its calories with oil, while baking or steaming keeps either one lean. Keeping the skin on adds fiber and minerals to both. One thing the numbers here can't show: this record for orange-flesh sweet potato doesn't report a vitamin A value, but orange flesh is a signature source of beta-carotene — a well-established point in its favor that this particular dataset leaves unquantified.
Full Nutrient Comparison
Protein
1.58
vs
2.27
g
Total Fat
0.38
vs
0.36
g
Total Carbohydrate
17.33
vs
17.77
g
| A Sweet potatoes, orange flesh, without skin, raw | Nutrient | Potatoes, russet, without skin, raw B |
|---|---|---|
| 79.54g+0.9 | Water | 78.61g |
| 1.58g | Protein | 2.27g+0.7 |
| 0.38g | Total Fat | 0.36g |
| 17.33g | Total Carbohydrate | 17.77g |
| 0mg | Sodium | 2.74mg |
| 486.40mg+36.3 | Potassium | 450.10mg |
| 22.33mg+14.5 | Calcium | 7.80mg |
| 19.14mg | Magnesium | 25.64mg+6.5 |
| 36.73mg | Phosphorus | 55.19mg+18.5 |
| 0.40mg+0.0 | Iron | 0.38mg |
| 0.34mg | Zinc | 0.38mg+0.0 |
| 0.19mg+0.1 | Copper | 0.09mg |
| 0.42mg+0.3 | Manganese | 0.15mg |
| 0μg | Selenium | 0μg |
| 0μg | Vitamin K | 0μg |
| 0.04mg | Thiamin | 0.07mg+0.0 |
| 0.43mg | Niacin | 1.50mg+1.1 |
| 0.12mg | Vitamin B6 | 0.16mg+0.0 |
| 0.20mg | Vitamin C | 1.50mg+1.3 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do sweet potatoes have fewer carbs than white potatoes?
A. No. Raw and peeled, it's 17.3g vs 17.8g per 100g — a negligible difference. Choose based on micronutrients and how you'll cook them, not carb count.
Q. Which is better for potassium?
A. Both are strong. Sweet potato edges ahead at 486mg per 100g versus 450mg for russet — either is a top-tier whole-food potassium source.
Q. Which has more protein?
A. The russet, with 2.3g per 100g against the sweet potato's 1.6g. It also leads on niacin (1.5mg vs 0.43mg) and vitamin B6.
Full data for the foods in this comparison
Data source: USDA FoodData Central (Public Domain). All values per 100g, edible portion. Some USDA Foundation Foods records do not report an Energy (kcal) value.