You must have wondered what is the difference between these two and ultimately what is better to choose.
THE sweet potato -especially in recent years- it is widely used in various recipes while many times it replaces everyone’s favorite potato.
You must have wondered what is the difference between these two and finally what is better to choose.
Sweet potatoes and potatoes are both tuberous root vegetables, but they differ in appearance and taste. They come from separate plant families, offer different nutrients and stand out nutritionally, mainly for how they affect blood sugar.
Sweet potatoes are often advertised as being “healthier” than white potatoes, but in reality both types are highly nutritious without much difference in calories. A sweet potato of 100 grams provides about 90 calories, while a regular potato has 92 calories.
In terms of their calorie, protein and carbohydrate content, sweet potatoes and white potatoes are not very different, but white potatoes provide more potassium, while sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A. Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants that help fight of cellular damage in the body, caused by free radicals and oxidative stress.
At a nutritional level, if they stand out significantly from each other for something, it is their glycemic index (GI), i.e. the way they affect our blood sugar after eating them.
Foods with a glycemic index > 70 cause a faster rise in blood sugar compared to foods with a medium glycemic index of 56–69 or a low glycemic index of >55.
Sweet potatoes generally have a lower glycemic index ranging from 44 to 94 (depending on how they are cooked) and potatoes have from 70 to 112.
People who have diabetes or other health problems, such as insulin resistance, pre-diabetic stage, obesity, it is scientifically proven that they will benefit from limiting high glycemic index foods, in this particular case, from potatoes.
Thus, it is often recommended to choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes, as the sweet variety generally has a lower glycemic index and helps balance sugar better.
*However, how eating potatoes affects blood sugar depends largely on the type of potato, portion size and cooking method.
What to choose in the end?
Whatever you choose between potatoes and sweet potatoes, remember that both can be included in a balanced diet. Both sweet potatoes and potatoes provide you with fiber, vitamins, minerals and can be included in your diet.
And as I always say, what is more important is not whether you will finally choose a regular potato or a sweet potato, but the way you will prepare them, the baking method you will choose and the portion you will consume!
So keep the good nutrients of both and choose whichever variety tastes best to you.
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