How many calories are in sweet potato?
Sweet potato has 117 calories per 1 medium (130 g) — that's 90 calories per 100 g, roughly 6% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from carbohydrate.
USDA FoodData Central · baked in skin, flesh · FDC 168483
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 medium (130 g) | 117 | 2.6 g | 26.9 g | 0.3 g |
| 100 g | 90 | 2 g | 20.7 g | 0.2 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 26 | 0.6 g | 5.9 g | 0.1 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 9% Carbs 89% Fat 2%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 168483, SR Legacy). baked in skin, flesh. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
One medium baked sweet potato has about 117 calories — that’s 90 calories per 100 g, and almost all of it is carbohydrate, with barely any fat. That puts it right alongside an ordinary potato (95 per 100 g): despite the health-food halo and the sweeter taste, a sweet potato is not a notably lighter or heavier food than a regular spud. It’s a nutrient-dense, modest-calorie carbohydrate — and the reason to reach for one isn’t the calorie count, which is unremarkable, but what rides along with those calories.
About the same calories as a regular potato
People often assume a sweet potato is either a big calorie saving or a guilty indulgence compared with a white potato. Neither is true — they’re effectively a tie on calories, 90 versus 95 per 100 g. A medium sweet potato sometimes totals slightly less simply because it weighs a little less than a typical russet, but per equal weight there’s almost nothing in it. Where the sweet potato genuinely pulls ahead is the nutrition packed into those identical calories: that deep orange flesh is beta-carotene, and a single medium baked sweet potato can supply a full day’s worth of vitamin A or more — something few common foods do as efficiently. It also brings a bit more fiber (about 3.3 g per 100 g) than a regular potato. So the honest framing is: same calorie ballpark, more vitamin A and fiber.
Where the calories come from — and where they climb
Like any potato, the sweet potato is modest until preparation gets involved. The carbohydrate here is the slow-digesting kind that gives steady energy and keeps you full, which is part of why a plain baked sweet potato sits comfortably in a weight-management plate. The calories climb the same way they do for a regular potato: frying into sweet potato fries (oil pushes a serving to roughly two to three times the plain calories), candying with brown sugar and marshmallow, or finishing with butter. None of that is the vegetable’s fault — it’s the additions. Keep it baked or lightly roasted and a sweet potato is a genuinely nutritious, satisfying carb for around 117 calories, with a day’s vitamin A thrown in for free.
For the protein side of the picture — and why a sweet potato is a carb-and-vitamin source rather than a protein food — see protein in sweet potato.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a sweet potato?
About 117 calories in one medium baked sweet potato (130 g), which is 90 calories per 100 g (USDA FDC 168483). Almost all of it is carbohydrate, with negligible fat. It's a nutrient-dense, modest-calorie carb — and it also delivers a full day's vitamin A.
How many calories are in 100 g of sweet potato?
A baked sweet potato is 90 calories per 100 g — close to a regular russet potato's 95. The two are nearly the same on calories; the reason to pick a sweet potato is the beta-carotene (vitamin A) and slightly higher fiber, not a calorie difference.
Does a sweet potato have fewer calories than a regular potato?
Marginally. A sweet potato is about 90 calories per 100 g versus 95 for a baked russet, so per equal weight they're basically a tie. A medium sweet potato (130 g, ~117 cal) often weighs a bit less than a medium russet, so it can total slightly fewer calories — but the gap is small. Choose it for the vitamin A and fiber, not to save calories.
Are sweet potatoes good for weight loss?
They can fit well. A plain baked sweet potato is modest in calories, filling, and high in fiber and slow-digesting carbohydrate, which helps with fullness. As with regular potatoes, what raises the count is preparation — candying, frying into fries, or adding butter and brown sugar — not the sweet potato itself.
How many calories are in sweet potato fries?
Far more than a baked sweet potato, because frying adds oil. Depending on how they're made, sweet potato fries often land around 150-250 calories per 100 g — versus 90 for plain baked — so a typical serving can easily run two to three times the calories of a whole baked sweet potato. Roasting at home with minimal oil keeps it much closer to the plain number.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 168483 (Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises the entry.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.