Produce
Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes deliver several times a day’s vitamin A in one root, cost little, and show far fewer detections than regular potatoes because they are not treated with sprout inhibitors in storage.
Organic upgrade priority
Conventional is a reasonable budget choice
Score 23/100 · about $2.10 a week extra for a household of two
- →Conventional samples index 35/100 against 6/100 for organic — a 29-point difference.
- →At about 3.8 servings a week, the difference applies to a smaller share of what you eat.
- →Sample confidence is moderate, so the score is weighted down by 10%.
Key numbers
- Residue evidence
- 35/100
- Moderate residue evidence
- Nutrient density
- 84/100
- Per calorie, across the whole database
- Typical price
- $1.49
- per lb · organic +47%
- Servings a week
- 3.8
- Per person, at typical purchase volume
- Samples
- 1,343
- Conventional, 2016–2018 · 67 organic
- Data confidence
- Moderate
- Set from sample size and year coverage
Organic vs conventional sweet potatoes
| Measure | Conventional | Organic |
|---|---|---|
| Samples analysed | 1,343 | 67 |
| Program years | 2016–2018 | 2016–2018 |
| Samples with any residue | 58% | 15% |
| Mean residues per sample | 0.8 | 0.1 |
| Samples above the EPA tolerance | 0.45% | 0.00% |
| Relative residue evidence index | 35/100 | 6/100 |
| Typical price | $1.49 / lb | $2.19 / lb |
Nutrition
Per 1 medium baked (150 g).
135
calories
3 g
protein
4 g
fiber
8.7 g
sugar
- Vitamin A 561% DV
- Fiber 14% DV
- Potassium 11% DV
How to wash sweet potatoes
Scrub under running water. The skin is edible and carries a good share of the fiber.
Washing reduces surface residue and soil. It does not remove systemic compounds taken up into the plant, and no soap, vinegar, or commercial produce wash has been shown to beat 30 seconds of plain running water by a margin worth paying for. Full washing guide.
Buying and storing
- ◆Baking a sweet potato slowly at 190 °C for an hour lets its amylase convert starch to maltose. Microwaving skips that step, which is why microwaved ones taste bland.
- ◆The orange varieties carry the beta-carotene; white and purple ones have very little, trading it for anthocyanins.
Common questions
›Should I buy organic sweet potatoes?
Probably not, if money is tight. Sweet potatoes indexes 35/100 on relative residue evidence against 6/100 for organic — a difference small enough that the same dollars buy far more on leafy greens or berries.
›Are sweet potatoes high in pesticides?
Sweet potatoes shows moderate residue evidence — an index of 35/100 relative to other commodities. Across 1,343 conventional samples from 2016–2018, 58% contained at least one detected residue, averaging 0.8 distinct compounds per sample, and 0.45% exceeded the applicable EPA tolerance. A detection is not the same as an unsafe level.
›How much more does organic sweet potatoes cost?
About 47% more at typical U.S. retail — $1.49 per lb conventional against $2.19 organic. For a household of 2 at normal purchase volume that is roughly $2.10 a week.
›How should I wash sweet potatoes?
Scrub under running water. The skin is edible and carries a good share of the fiber.
Related foods
Spinach
$3.29 / 5 oz container · organic $4.49
Kale
$2.79 / bunch · organic $3.79
Broccoli
$2.49 / lb · organic $3.69
Bell peppers
$1.49 / each · organic $2.29