One Potato, Two Potato, Sweet Potato

Only three more days. Three more days until OPERATION: DON'T BREAK THE SCALE DURING THE HOLIDAYS. I concluded that duct taping my mouth shut for the next six weeks won't work. But one of the things I will try is to come up with healthier alternatives to some of my holiday favorites.

One of the things I look forward to eating most around the holidays are mashed potatoes. Red potatoes, white potatoes, garlic smashed, potatoes with gravy....it really doesn't matter. I love them all.

I saw a big display of sweet potatoes at the store this week, and I thought "hey, maybe sweet potatoes really are healthier?" I've always heard this was true, but I decided I needed to do some research of my own.

Invigorated with the thought of finding a holiday food that wouldn't bring the enormous amount of guilt that mashed potatoes brings, I hit google.

So what did I learn? Yes, sweet potatoes are indeed healthier.

Here is a brief nutritional breakdown of sweet potatoes vs. white potatoes. Now you might notice that the grams are different between the sweet and white potato, but this is due to the fact that the density per serving size isn't quite the same between the two.

Sweet Potato (baked, skin on)

White Potato (baked, skin on)


Sweet Potato (vitamins and minerals in 200 grams)


White Potato (vitamins and minerals in 299 grams)

*source: www.nutritiondata.com

Now the basic nutritional differences (calories, fat, carbs, etc.) are comaparable. Although the sweet potato is considerably higher in fiber. But as far as the vitamin and mineral differences, there are some major differences.

So while not a completely guilt-free, traditional mashed potoato and gravy substitute....move over mashed potatoes. This year you've been replaced by something sweeter.