One medium baked sweet potato with skin weighs about 114 grams. It delivers 103 calories, 2.3 grams of protein, 23.6 grams of carbohydrate and 3.8 grams of fiber, per USDA FoodData Central. The same serving supplies about 1,096 micrograms of vitamin A. That is 122 percent of the Daily Value. Sweet potato nutrition pairs steady energy with a large dose of beta-carotene, the pigment the body converts into vitamin A.
Beta-carotene belongs to a family of plant pigments called carotenoids. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements explains that the body turns these pigments into vitamin A. Vitamin A supports normal vision and immune function. Orange-fleshed types carry the most pigment. Paler and purple types hold less beta-carotene, but they keep the fiber and the potassium.
Sweet potato nutrition per medium serving
The USDA values below describe one medium baked sweet potato with skin. USDA sizes it at two inches across and five inches long. A larger potato simply scales every line up. Daily Value percentages follow FDA label references.
- Calories: 103.
- Protein: 2.3 grams.
- Carbohydrate: 23.6 grams, with 7.4 grams of natural sugars.
- Fiber: 3.8 grams (13 percent of the Daily Value).
- Vitamin A: 1,096 micrograms RAE (122 percent of the Daily Value).
- Vitamin C: 22.3 milligrams (25 percent of the Daily Value).
- Potassium: 541 milligrams (12 percent of the Daily Value).
- Manganese: 0.57 milligrams (25 percent of the Daily Value).
Beta-carotene and vitamin A
A medium baked sweet potato covers a full day of vitamin A on its own. According to the NIH, vitamin A supports normal eyesight and immune function. The body converts beta-carotene to fill that role. Few common foods reach a complete Daily Value in one serving.
Vitamin C adds another 25 percent of the Daily Value per medium serving. The tuber also carries just 0.2 grams of fat. Sodium stays at 36 milligrams per 100 grams in unsalted baked form. Salt only enters through the recipe around it.
Boiling shifts the vitamin picture. USDA data show boiled sweet potato, without skin, at 709 micrograms of vitamin A per 100 grams. The same weight baked in skin holds 961 micrograms. The skin and the cooking method both play a part in that gap.
Boiled, baked or roasted: preparation matters
Preparation shapes sweet potato nutrition as much as the vegetable itself. Baked in skin, it runs about 90 calories per 100 grams. Boiled without skin, about 76, per USDA data. Fiber differs too. It falls from 3.3 grams per 100 grams baked to 1.8 grams boiled, mostly because baked versions keep the skin. We covered a connected angle in Chick Fil A nutrition: how to read the menu and order lighter.
The glycemic response diverges even more. A study of ten cultivars appeared in the Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. Boiled samples scored low on the glycemic index, from 41 to 50. Baked samples scored 82 to 94. Roasted ones scored 79 to 93, and fried versions landed between 63 and 77. The authors link the spread to moisture loss and to starch changes created by each cooking process.
Fiber and potassium highlights
At 3.8 grams per medium serving, the fiber covers about 13 percent of the 28-gram Daily Value. Potassium reaches 541 milligrams, about 12 percent of its Daily Value. For scale, the NIH food table lists a medium baked white potato, flesh only, at 610 milligrams. Both tubers pull real weight on that list.
The FDA permits a qualified health claim for potassium. It states that diets with potassium-rich, low-sodium foods may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Federal dietary guidance also calls potassium a nutrient of public-health concern, since most people fall short of it.
Conclusion: weighing sweet potato nutrition
One medium serving stacks fiber, potassium and a full day of vitamin A into just over 100 calories. Boiling keeps the glycemic index low and trims calories further. Baking maximizes beta-carotene per bite but raises the glycemic index sharply. For most eating patterns, the tuber holds a steady place on the plate, whatever the cooking method.
