A medium baked russet potato (173g, with skin) has 37g of carbs and 4g of fiber. Sweet potatoes are similar at 27g. How it's cooked changes the carb count surprisingly little — but the glycemic impact a lot.
By type (medium, ~175g, cooked)
| Potato | Carbs | Fiber | Net carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russet, baked | 37g | 4g | 33g |
| Red potato, boiled | 34g | 3g | 31g |
| Yukon gold, boiled | 34g | 2g | 32g |
| Sweet potato, baked | 27g | 4g | 23g |
| Fingerling, roasted | 30g | 3g | 27g |
| Purple potato | 33g | 4g | 29g |
Preparation matters
| Preparation | Serving | Carbs |
|---|---|---|
| Baked potato w/ skin | 1 medium | 37g |
| Mashed potatoes (with milk + butter) | 1 cup | 35g |
| French fries (medium) | 117g | 48g |
| Steak fries | 6 oz | 53g |
| Tater tots | 9 pieces | 22g |
| Hash browns | 1 cup | 16g |
| Potato chips | 1 oz | 15g |
| Sweet potato fries | 6 oz | 41g |
The cold-potato trick
A boiled potato cooled overnight develops resistant starch — it acts more like fiber than sugar. Cold potato salad has roughly 25% lower effective carbs than hot mashed potato made from the same spud.
Glycemic differences
- Boiled potato: GI ~78
- Baked russet: GI ~85
- Instant mashed: GI ~87 (highest)
- Sweet potato: GI ~63 (lower)
- Cold cooked potato: GI ~55