How many calories are in potatoes?
According to the German BLS food database, a raw potato contains around 70 kcal per 100 g (3.5 oz), and boiling barely changes that. Deep-fried french fries jump to 290 kcal per 100 g — the added fat pushes the energy content to roughly four times that of a boiled potato.
Potatoes by preparation method
The potato itself is a low-calorie food. What matters is the preparation — fat, oil, and accompanying sauces multiply the energy content. The German BLS food composition database (Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel) and USDA FoodData Central provide standardized values for the most common preparations.
| Preparation | Calories per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Potato, raw | 70 kcal |
| Potato, boiled (in skin) | 77 kcal |
| Baked potato | 110 kcal |
| Pan-fried potatoes | 150 kcal |
| French fries (deep-fried) | 290 kcal |
| Potato chips | 540 kcal |
Why potatoes are so filling
On the satiety index measured by Holt et al. (1995), potatoes posted one of the highest scores among carbohydrate-rich foods. On a scale where white bread sits at 100, boiled potatoes hit 323 — the highest value in the entire study. The reason is a combination of high water content, resistant starch, and lots of volume at a low calorie density.
Nutrition at a glance
Alongside their 77 kcal, 100 grams of boiled potato contain around 17 g of carbohydrate, 2 g of protein, and 0.1 g of fat. Add to that potassium (420 mg), vitamin C (13 mg after cooking), and fiber (1.8 g). The German Nutrition Society (DGE) counts potatoes among the recommended staple foods of a balanced diet.
Sweet potatoes compared
At around 86 kcal per 100 g, sweet potatoes carry slightly more energy than regular potatoes, but they bring considerably more beta-carotene (vitamin A) to the table. For your calorie budget the differences are small — here too, the preparation method is what really counts.
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- Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel (BLS) — Germany’s national food composition database. Max Rubner Institute. blsdb.de
- USDA FoodData Central. Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt. fdc.nal.usda.gov
- Holt, S. H., et al. (1995). A satiety index of common foods. Eur J Clin Nutr. PubMed
- German Nutrition Society (DGE). Wholesome eating and drinking by the 10 DGE rules. dge.de