Sweet potatoes and normal potatoes are fairly similar in terms of their nutrient profiles but there are some key differences.
Generally sweet potato will have a lower glycaemic index than regular potato but this depends on the cooking method and what you add to the potato. Food with a lower GI help keep you feeling fuller for longer and may help manage your blood sugar levels. This may be of particular importance to people with diabetes or high blood sugar.
Sweet potato and regular potato contain similar amounts of fat and total calories per 100 grams but sweet potatoes contain more sugar, more dietary fibre and less protein. Sweet potatoes are a good source of beta carotene- the precursor to Vitamin A- but regular potatoes contains more Vitamin C.
I wouldn’t focus too much on whether one is healthier than the other as it’s more important to understand that potatoes in general can form part of a healthy diet as long as you consume a wide variety of other vegetables as well and watch your portion size. The way you cook your potatoes is also important: frying in oil, roasting in butter, mashing with cream etc. all add extra calories to the meal as does adding toppings like cheese and sour cream. Experiment with healthier cooking methods such as roasting using baking paper, boiling, or mashing with reduced-fat milk and use herbs and spices to add flavour.
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