Vegetables

Sweet potato nutrition, and what the pan changes.

1 sweet potato (5 in long) lands at 112 calories and brings 2 g of protein with it. In USDA’s database this is “Sweet potato, raw, unprepared”. Between the lightest and heaviest preparation listed here, 100 g differs by 25 calories. The panel underneath takes any serving and any amount, and the vitamin and mineral table tracks what you pick.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

USDA FoodData Central records 168482, 168484, 168483, 169305 supply every value here. The calculation happens in this page.

Calories in sweet potato, serving by serving

At 86 calories per 100 g, 1 sweet potato (5 in long) comes to 112. The weights shown for each portion come straight from the USDA record.

How much protein is in sweet potato?

1 sweet potato (5 in long) carries 2 g of protein, which is 4 percent of the 50 g Daily Value. Protein is close to absent in sweet potato. Its calories come from carbohydrate instead.

Energy-wise, protein contributes 7 percent, fat 1 percent and carbohydrate 92 percent, which makes it mostly a carbohydrate.

Sweet potato calories by preparation

Canned sweet potato comes in at 101 calories per 100 g against 76 for boiled, a gap of 33 percent. What explains it is how it is processed.

The table holds the weight constant at 130 g, which leaves the preparation as the single variable.

Sweet potato in the kitchen

These tubers are distinct from true yams. You will encounter copper-skinned varieties with orange flesh, pale yellow types, and purple-fleshed options. Select specimens that feel heavy and firm. Avoid those with soft ends, damp spots, or green growth, as these signs indicate rot is starting beneath the skin.

High heat converts starch to sugar, making the flesh sweet and sticky. Wet cooking methods like boiling can lead to waterlogged, mushy flesh with diluted flavour. The common error is undercooking the core, which leaves a chalky texture. Roast them whole in their skins until they collapse when pressed.

They pair well with salty, sour, or spicy ingredients to balance their natural sweetness. In American cooking, they are baked into spiced pies or mashed with butter. Japanese kitchens roast them over charcoal, whilst Caribbean cooks simmer them in rich, coconut-based curries with hot chillies.

Everything USDA measures in sweet potato

Top of the list for 1 sweet potato (5 in long): 102 percent of a day’s vitamin A, 16 percent of a day’s vitamin B6. The remaining nutrients are tabulated underneath and update live.

There are 3 g of fibre in 100 g, roughly 11 percent of the daily figure.

Sweet potato against a daily budget

Against the standard 2,000 calorie reference, 1 sweet potato (5 in long) takes up 6 percent of the energy and supplies 4 percent of the protein. For a figure that fits you, start with the TDEE calculator, then set grams with the macro calculator.

Three ways to cook sweet potato

From the Calorie Counter Team: three dishes built around sweet potato, with per-serving nutrition calculated from the USDA data for every ingredient that goes in.

Dinner · Indian

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

A spiced stew with sweet potato, chickpeas, and spinach.

35 min · serves 4

251kcal

8.2gprotein

6.4gfat

43gcarbs

Ingredients

• sweet potato 400 g
• vegetable oil 15 g
• onion 150 g
• garlic 10 g
• curry powder 8 g
• canned chopped tomatoes 400 g
• canned chickpeas 240 g
• fresh spinach 100 g
• salt 3 g

Method

1. Peel and cut the sweet potato into 2 cm cubes.
2. Fry the chopped onion and garlic in the vegetable oil in a large saucepan for 5 minutes until soft.
3. Stir in the curry powder, then add the sweet potato, chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, and salt.
4. Simmer on a medium heat for 20 minutes until the sweet potato is tender.
5. Stir in the spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 9 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Side · British

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Oven-baked sweet potato chips seasoned with paprika and salt.

35 min · serves 3

206kcal

2.8gprotein

6.9gfat

34gcarbs

Ingredients

• sweet potato 500 g
• olive oil 20 g
• paprika 4 g
• salt 3 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes into 1 cm thick chips, leaving the skins on.
3. Toss the chips in a bowl with the olive oil, paprika, and salt.
4. Spread the chips in a single layer on a baking tray.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through, until the edges are brown.

Per serving, from 4 USDA FoodData Central records. Cooking changes weight and some nutrients; treat these as close rather than exact.

Lunch · Mediterranean

Sweet Potato and Feta Mash

Boiled sweet potato mashed with crumbled feta cheese and spring onions.

25 min · serves 3

336kcal

8.2gprotein

15gfat

42gcarbs

Ingredients

• sweet potato 600 g
• butter 30 g
• feta cheese 100 g
• spring onions 30 g
• salt 2 g
• black pepper 1 g

Method

1. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 3 cm chunks.
2. Boil the chunks in a saucepan of water for 15 minutes until soft.
3. Drain the water and return the sweet potato to the warm saucepan.
4. Add the unsalted butter, salt, and black pepper, then mash until smooth.
5. Stir in the crumbled feta cheese and sliced spring onions before serving.

Nutrition per serving, calculated across 6 USDA ingredient records. Expect small differences once cooked.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

Sweet potato as part of a meal

What a meal containing sweet potato comes to, using USDA numbers for every part of it.

Sweet potato or something else?

Compared gram for gram, with the form of each food stated. Follow any link for that food’s full page.

What people ask about sweet potato

What is the calorie count for 1 sweet potato (5 in long)?

112 calories, according to USDA FoodData Central: the record is “Sweet potato, raw, unprepared”, FDC 168482. That works out at 86 per 100 g.

How much protein does sweet potato have?

1 sweet potato (5 in long) has 2 g of protein. By weight that is 1.6 g per 100 g, and the serving covers 4 percent of the Daily Value.

Is sweet potato higher in calories once it is prepared?

It does. The same 130 g is 99 calories boiled and 131 canned, with the other preparations listed here falling in between.

Does sweet potato fit a calorie deficit?

No food causes or prevents weight loss on its own. The useful facts are that 1 sweet potato (5 in long) is 112 calories with 2 g of protein, which makes 7 percent of its calories protein; useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

Why do sweet potatoes sometimes ooze a white sap when cut?

This milky liquid is a natural mixture of starch and water. It is completely harmless and disappears during cooking. It actually indicates that the tuber is freshly harvested and has not dried out in storage.

Can you eat the skin of a sweet potato?

Yes, the skin is edible and becomes pleasantly chewy when roasted. Scrub it thoroughly to remove soil before cooking. Leaving the skin on also helps the tuber hold its shape when you slice or dice it.

Sources

• Sweet potato, raw, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168482
• Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168484
• Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168483
• Sweet potato, canned, mashed — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169305
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9