Calories in Sweet Potato
How many calories are in a sweet potato? A medium baked sweet potato has about 103 calories. See a full sweet potato calorie and macros table by serving.
Published · 2 min read · Free · No sign-up
Quick answer
A medium baked sweet potato (about 114 grams) contains roughly 103 calories. By weight, plain cooked sweet potato has about 90 calories per 100 grams, mostly from complex carbohydrates.
How Many Calories Are in a Sweet Potato?
A medium baked sweet potato contains about 103 calories. By weight, plain cooked sweet potato comes in at roughly 90 calories per 100 grams — comparable to a regular potato and modest for such a nutrient-dense food. A large sweet potato can reach 160 to 180 calories, since the count scales with size.
Sweet potatoes are a complex-carbohydrate food with a good dose of fiber and very little fat. Their natural sweetness comes from sugars that intensify when roasted, but the total sugar is moderate and balanced by slow-digesting starch and fiber.
Sweet Potato Calories by Serving
| Serving | Amount | Calories | Carbs (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small, baked | ~60 g | ~54 | 12 | 2 |
| Medium, baked | ~114 g | ~103 | 24 | 4 |
| Large, baked | ~180 g | ~162 | 37 | 6 |
| Mashed (1 cup) | ~200 g | ~180 | 41 | 6 |
| 100 g, baked | 100 g | ~90 | 21 | 3.3 |
These are for plain sweet potato cooked without added fat or sugar. Cooking method matters: frying and candied preparations add a great deal of extra energy.
How Cooking Method Affects the Count
A plain baked or boiled sweet potato stays around 90 calories per 100 grams. Once you add fat or sugar, the count climbs fast. Sweet potato fries, fried in oil, run 150 to 200 calories per 100 grams. A tablespoon of butter adds about 100 calories, brown sugar adds roughly 50 per tablespoon, and candied sweet potatoes with marshmallows can more than double the base. Boiling actually gives a slightly lower glycemic response than baking, since baking concentrates sugars. To keep things light, bake or boil and season with herbs, cinnamon or a little olive oil rather than butter and sugar.
Macros and Nutrition in Sweet Potatoes
A medium sweet potato provides about 24 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber, 7 grams of natural sugar and 2 grams of protein, with almost no fat. The headline nutrient is vitamin A: a single medium sweet potato delivers several times the daily requirement from beta-carotene, the orange pigment that gives it its color. It is also rich in vitamin C, manganese, potassium and vitamin B6. The fiber and resistant starch support digestion and help moderate blood sugar, making it a more nutritious carbohydrate than many refined options.
Do Sweet Potatoes Fit a Healthy Diet?
Sweet potatoes are an excellent fit for most healthy eating plans. They are filling, nutrient-dense, fat-free and a far better carbohydrate source than refined grains thanks to their fiber and vitamin A. For weight management, the key is preparation — baked or boiled with light seasoning keeps them around 100 calories, while fries and candied versions add substantial fat and sugar. Paired with a lean protein and vegetables, a baked sweet potato makes a balanced, satisfying base for a meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a medium sweet potato?
A medium baked sweet potato (about 114 grams) contains roughly 103 calories, with 24 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Larger sweet potatoes scale up proportionally.
How many calories are in a cup of mashed sweet potato?
One cup of plain mashed sweet potato (about 200 grams) contains roughly 180 calories. Adding butter, brown sugar or marshmallows, as in candied versions, can easily double or triple that number.
Is sweet potato lower in calories than a regular potato?
Sweet potatoes and white potatoes are very close in calories, around 90 per 100 grams cooked. Sweet potatoes are higher in vitamin A and have a slightly lower glycemic index when boiled, but calorie-wise they are similar.
Are sweet potatoes good for weight loss?
Sweet potatoes suit weight loss well. They are filling thanks to their fiber and water, moderate in calories, fat-free and rich in nutrients. Baking or boiling keeps them light, while frying adds significant calories.
How many calories are in sweet potato fries?
A typical serving of sweet potato fries (about 100 grams) contains roughly 150 to 200 calories, depending on oil. Frying adds fat, so fries hold far more calories than a plain baked sweet potato of the same weight.
Sources
- FoodData Central — food composition database — U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)