Sweet Potato vs Potato

To celebrate Nutrition Month, we thought we would have a little fun and do a face-off comparing two vegetables. Here we take a closer look at two tubers that, despite their names, are actually completely unrelated.

Sweet Potato vs. Potato

• Caloricaly speaking, sweet potato and potato are pretty similar. Nutritionally, sweet potato has 50% more fiber, a dramatically higher level of Vitamin A, and more Vitamins C and B6, but less potassium than potato.
• Numbers are only part of the story. Not shown here are the various phyto-nutrients contained in both sweet potato and potato, which have shown strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. A 2007 USDA paper reported an ORAC value for sweet potato 26% higher than that of a Russet potato. The orange hues in sweet potato are due to the super antioxidant beta-carotene, and a unique storage protein called sporamin has been shown to have its own antioxidant properties. There is also a purple-colored variety of sweet potato containing high levels of anthocyanins. Some potato varieties have been shown to contain phenolic compounds that rival those in broccoli or Brussels sprouts, and some varieties have high levels of Vitamin C and quercetin.

Our Pick: Sweet Potato

We have to hand it to sweet potato for the off-the-charts level of Vitamin A. It should be noted, though, that both sweet potato and regular potato are great choices as long as you consume them in the least processed way. This means buying them whole, scrubbing them well, then baking (or steaming) and consuming them with their skin on to maximize the nutrient load.