Sweet potato is known for it’s many benefits, and some have even replaced them from normal potatos. How nutritous? and are fried sweet potato really bad for your health?
Health benefits of Sweet potato has been linked to supporting immune system, as they contain natural sources of beta-carotene (converts to Vitamin A), improve learning, and memory, healthier vision, cancer-fighting properties and improve gut health. While this is not an exhaustive list of benefits, sweet potatoes are also known for their promotion of healthy bacteria in intensines, which means it is easily digestible and helps conditions such as IBS and diarrhea, which means you’ll easier absorb the nutrition from sweet potatoes.
Nutrition
Sweet Potato contains an enzyme called solanine, so they shouldn’t be eaten raw, as it might cause some digestive issues. When cooked, the enzyme evaporates and is therefore safe to eat and easier to digest once properly cooked. In it’s raw form it has the following nutrition:
Raw Sweet Potato (per 100 grams)
- Calories: 86
- Protein: 1.57 grams
- Carbs: 20.12 grams
- Sugar: 4.18 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Fat: 0.05 grams
When comparing the best ways getting nutrition out of cooking them, I looked at the nutrition for sweet potatoes boiled in water, baked/roasted in the oven and fried (per 100 grams). Sweet potatoes are starchy root vegetables that are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, when boiled, they seem to maintain a healthier amount of calories, sugars, and carbs. While not as rich in protein, it also has the lowest sugar amount. Aside from the obvious increase in fat, calories, carbs in the fried sweet potato, there is not a big difference between baked and boiled. For full difference, see list below:
Boiled Sweet Potato (per 100 grams)
- Calories: 76
- Protein: 1.37 grams
- Carbs: 17.72 grams
- Sugar: 5.74 grams
- Fiber: 2.5 grams
- Fat: 0.14 grams
Baked Sweet Potato (per 100 grams)
- Calories: 90
- Protein: 2.01 grams
- Carbs: 20.71 grams
- Sugar: 6.48 grams
- Fiber: 3.3 grams
- Fat: 0.15 grams
Fried Sweet Potato (per 100 grams)
- Calories: 313
- Protein: 3.13 grams
- Carbs: 40.12 grams
- Sugar: 8.34 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Fat: 16.1 grams
Before you completely rule out fried sweet potato (they’re too delicious!). When they are fried, they also increase in vitamins and other sources that doesn’t quite meet your eyes when looking at food label, as we tend to focus more on the 6 most common nutritional points.
However, fried sweet potato has double the amount of magnesium, and calcium as raw, as well as more Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Selenium and Folate (Folic Acid). These are all very beneficial nutritious sources, which you might have overlooked. For the full list please see list below:
