How many calories are in a sweet potato?

A medium sweet potato (around 130g) contains approximately 126 kcal. Per 100g, raw sweet potato provides 97 kcal — slightly higher than regular white potato (77 kcal) due to a higher sugar content. Most of the calories come from carbohydrate (21.3g per 100g), with negligible fat and modest protein.

Is sweet potato better than regular potato for blood sugar?

It depends on how you cook it. Boiled sweet potato (GI ~63) is lower than boiled white potato (GI ~78), making it a better choice when boiled. However, baked sweet potato can have a GI as high as 94, which is higher than some white potato preparations. The best strategy is to boil rather than bake, eat with the skin on, and pair with protein or fat to slow glucose absorption.

Are sweet potatoes processed?

Whole sweet potatoes are NOVA 1 — completely unprocessed. However, many sweet potato products at Tesco are processed: sweet potato mash (NOVA 3) contains added butter and salt, sweet potato falafels (NOVA 3) contain added oil and flour, and sweet potato fries (often NOVA 3-4) may contain coatings or flavourings. If you want to keep it clean, buy the whole vegetable and prepare it yourself.

What is the glycemic index of sweet potato?

Sweet Potato has a glycemic index of 63, which is classified as Medium GI. Sweet potato has a low GI of around 44 when boiled, lower than regular potato (85+).

Glucose: MediumNOVA 1

Nutritional Information for Sweet Potato

Sweet potato is a nutrient-dense root vegetable delivering around 97 kcal per 100g with 21.3g of carbohydrate. It is an excellent source of beta-carotene (the orange pigment that converts to vitamin A). From a SpikeSaver perspective, sweet potato sits in the medium GI range — around 63 when boiled, but this varies significantly with cooking method. Baking raises the GI considerably as heat converts starches to sugars (note the jump from 5.7g to 11.6g sugars per 100g between raw and baked). Sweet potato is NOVA 1 as a whole vegetable, though mash and falafel versions are processed.

Nutrition per 100g

Nutrient	Per 100g	Per serving
Energy	97 kcal / 410 kJ	126 kcal
Protein	1.1g	1.4g
Carbohydrates	21.3g	27.7g
of which sugars	5.7g	—
Fat	0.3g	0.4g
of which saturated	0.1g	—
Fibre	2.3g	—
Salt	0.1g	—

Serving size: 1 medium sweet potato (~130g) · Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Glucose impact

Glycemic Index

Medium

Glucose risk

Sweet potato contains 21.3g of carbohydrate per 100g with a GI of approximately 63 when boiled, placing it in the medium glycaemic range. Cooking method matters enormously: boiled sweet potato has a lower GI than baked, because baking breaks down more starch into simple sugars (sugar content nearly doubles from 5.7g to 11.6g per 100g when baked). Eating sweet potato with the skin on and pairing with fat or protein can help slow the glucose response.

Processing level

NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

A whole sweet potato is a completely unprocessed single-ingredient food. It requires no additives and is sold as nature produced it. However, Tesco's sweet potato mash products add butter, cream, and salt (NOVA 3), while sweet potato falafels contain multiple processed ingredients including oil and flour (NOVA 3-4). The prepared salads and ready meals using sweet potato are typically NOVA 3 or higher.

Sweet Potato at Tesco

Source: Tesco product page, October 2025

Tesco Sweet Potatoes 1Kg

£1.19*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Large Sweet Potatoes Loose Class 1

£0.42*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Baking Sweet Potatoes 2 Pack

£1.70*NOVA 1 (unprocessed)

Tesco Sweet Potato & Potato Mash 450g

2 UPF markers

£1.00*NOVA 3 (processed)

Tesco Sweet Potato Falafels 152g

2 UPF markers

NOVA 3 (processed)

*Prices were correct at the time of collection and may have since changed. Check Tesco.com for current pricing.

What to watch for when shopping

Whole sweet potatoes are always NOVA 1 and offer excellent nutrition. The key variable is cooking method — boiling produces a lower GI (~63) than baking (~94) because heat converts resistant starch to simple sugars. Tesco's baking sweet potatoes show 11.6g sugars per 100g versus 5.7g for the standard loose potatoes, reflecting this difference. Prepared products like mash and falafels add fat, salt, and sometimes flour. Budget tip: Tesco Sweet Potatoes 1Kg at £1.19 is the best value at £1.19/kg.

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