Myth Busting Monday: Are sweet potatoes low carb?

Sweet potatoes have become very popular recently, often being touted as the healthier alternative to white potatoes. But is this true?

Carbohydrate content

White potatoes are a starchy carbohydrate, so they are generally avoided on a low carb lifestyle and the same goes for sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes also contain more carbohydrates than white potatoes (21.3g per 100g in comparison to 19.6g of carbs per 100g).

Other nutrients

Sweet potatoes do have the advantage of being higher in nutrients than white potatoes. For example, sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A, vitamin C and fibre.

However, these nutrients can also be found in other low carb alternatives such as blackcurrants, spinach and spring greens. Nuts and seeds such as chia seeds and almonds are also a great source of fibre.

Sweet potato alternatives

So, if sweet potatoes are off the menu, you might want to try some of these lower carb alternatives.

Butternut squash makes a great alternative to sweet potato as it has a similar bright orange flesh and a mildly sweet flavour. At 8.3g of carbs per 100g, it also contains less than half the amount of carbohydrates than sweet potato. Try it roasted paired with some homemade lamb burgers and tzatziki.

Pumpkins also make excellent sweet potato alternatives, containing just 2.2g of carbs per 100g. Simply roast chunks of pumpkin in a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of seasoning, then mix with your favourite salad leaves, chopped tomatoes and feta cheese for an easy lunch.

  You can discover more lower carb alternatives to sweet potato when you join the Low Carb Program.