Understanding How Many Sweet Potatoes Is 80g

November 7, 2025 •

5 min read

According to the UK's National Health Service, an 80g portion of fruit or vegetables counts as one of your five-a-day, making this a useful benchmark for healthy eating. For a starchy vegetable like a sweet potato, this weight can represent different amounts depending on its size and preparation. Understanding how many sweet potatoes is 80g is crucial for precise meal planning and nutrition tracking, offering clarity whether you are counting calories or monitoring carbohydrate intake.

Quick Summary

An 80g portion of sweet potato is equivalent to approximately one small potato, two-thirds of a medium one, or about half a cup when cooked and cubed, depending on water loss.

Key Points

Serving Size: An 80g portion of sweet potato is roughly equivalent to one small potato or about two-thirds of a medium one.
Cooked Volume: When cooked and cubed, 80g of sweet potato is approximately half a cup, depending on how much water is lost during cooking.
Accuracy: A food scale is the most accurate way to measure an 80g serving, especially for precise nutritional tracking or calorie counting.
Versatility: 80g of sweet potato can be served in various forms, such as roasted cubes, mashed, or as part of a hash, making it easy to incorporate into meals.
Nutrient-Dense: A standard 80g serving offers a good amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber, contributing positively to your daily nutritional goals.
Dietary Guideline: An 80g serving of sweet potato counts as one of your '5-a-day' portions according to the UK's NHS guidelines.

The 80g Sweet Potato: A Serving Size Breakdown

An 80g serving is a common benchmark for nutritional intake, particularly when following dietary guidelines like the '5-a-day' recommendation. However, visualizing 80g of a sweet potato can be challenging due to variations in size, shape, and preparation. This section details what this portion looks like in different forms.

How Many Whole Sweet Potatoes is 80g?

The quantity of whole sweet potatoes that equals 80g depends heavily on their size, which can vary significantly by variety and retailer. Based on industry standards and common market sizes:

Small sweet potatoes: Often weigh between 60g and 113g (2-4 oz). A single, genuinely small sweet potato might be slightly less than 80g, while a slightly larger one could exceed it. For consistency, you might need about one small-to-medium sweet potato, but a food scale is the most accurate tool.
Medium sweet potatoes: Typically weigh around 114g (4 oz) or more. An 80g portion would therefore be roughly two-thirds of a medium-sized sweet potato. Cutting and weighing a section is necessary for an exact measurement.
Large sweet potatoes: Can weigh 180g (6.3 oz) or more. In this case, 80g would represent less than half of a single large potato.

What Does 80g of Cooked Sweet Potato Look Like?

Cooking a sweet potato changes its weight and density, primarily due to moisture loss. An 80g portion of cooked sweet potato will appear different than a raw one. Here are some common examples:

Cubed: 80g of cooked, cubed sweet potato is roughly equivalent to about half a cup. This is a popular way to incorporate sweet potatoes into salads, hashes, or as a side dish.
Mashed: Due to the higher density of mashed potato, 80g will be a slightly smaller volume. It would be just under half a cup, serving as a perfect side dollop for a meal.
Fries: When cutting sweet potatoes into fries, moisture is lost during baking or frying. An 80g portion will be a small handful of fries, which can vary in count depending on their thickness.

Weighing vs. Measuring by Volume

When it comes to portion control, especially for an exact number like 80g, there is a clear distinction in accuracy between using a scale and a measuring cup.

Arguments for using a food scale:

Precision: A food scale gives you the most precise measurement, which is invaluable for people tracking macros, calories, or specific nutrient intakes.
Consistency: Eliminates the guesswork associated with vegetable sizes and cuts. Whether the potato is large, small, cubed, or mashed, 80g is always 80g.
Portion Control: Helps in controlling overall calorie consumption and maintaining a consistent serving size for dietary adherence.

Arguments for using measuring cups (volume):

Convenience: Measuring cups are quicker for rough estimates and do not require extra equipment. They are a good choice for those not needing strict accuracy.
Practicality: For simple cooking and meal planning, volume can be practical, but the results can vary depending on how tightly packed the food is.

For an exact 80g serving, particularly with cooked potato where water loss has occurred, using a food scale before or after cooking is the most reliable method.

The Sweet Potato Measurement Table

To provide a clear visual and practical reference, here is a comparison table for an 80g serving of sweet potato in different forms and states. Note that these are approximations, and actual values may vary.


Sweet Potato Form	Approximate Measurement (Raw)	Approximate Measurement (Cooked)	Comments
Whole	One small sweet potato (60-90g)	N/A	Highly variable; requires weighing.
Cubed (1-inch)	Approx. 1.25 raw sweet potatoes	Approx. 0.5 cups	Volume decreases after cooking due to water loss.
Mashed	N/A	Just under 0.5 cups	More dense than cubed; volume is smaller.
Sliced	Enough slices to weigh 80g	Enough slices to weigh 80g	Consistent shape, easy to measure precisely.
Handful	N/A	One small handful of fries	Unreliable for accurate measurement; great for estimates.

Nutritional Profile of an 80g Sweet Potato

An 80g serving of sweet potato is not only a practical portion size but also a nutritional powerhouse. The nutritional content can vary slightly depending on whether it's raw or cooked, and the cooking method.

Nutrition of 80g Raw Sweet Potato

Calories: 69 kcal
Carbohydrates: 16g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 1g
Vitamin A: A significant percentage of the daily value, mainly from beta-carotene.
Potassium: A good source for this essential mineral.

Nutrition of 80g Cooked Sweet Potato

Calories: ~72 kcal (slightly higher due to water loss)
Carbohydrates: 17g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 2g
Vitamins: Rich in vitamins A and C.

How to Incorporate an 80g Serving into Your Diet

An 80g portion is versatile and can be incorporated into many meals without dominating the plate. Here are some simple ideas for adding a measured portion of sweet potato to your diet.

Roasted Cubes: Dice an 80g portion of sweet potato into small cubes. Toss with a little oil and your favorite spices, then roast until tender and caramelized. This works perfectly as a side for grilled chicken or fish.
Mashed Side Dish: Steam or boil an 80g piece of sweet potato until soft, then mash it with a fork. You can add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg for flavor. It’s an ideal, nutritious side for any main course.
Sweet Potato Hash: Combine your 80g of diced sweet potato with other vegetables like onions and peppers in a pan. Cook until browned for a quick, wholesome breakfast or lunch hash.
Salad Topper: Add an 80g portion of roasted sweet potato cubes to a green salad for a boost of nutrients, fiber, and flavor.

Conclusion: Making Your 80g Count

Determining exactly how many sweet potatoes is 80g is not an exact science without a food scale, due to the natural variation in vegetable size. However, the general rule of thumb is that it represents one small sweet potato or a fraction of a larger one. For accurate nutritional tracking, especially for dietary purposes, using a kitchen scale is the most reliable method. For more casual portioning, approximating based on volume, such as half a cup of cubes, is a convenient alternative. Ultimately, incorporating this nutrient-dense vegetable in an 80g serving size is an effective way to boost your daily intake of vitamins and minerals, contributing positively to your overall health.

For more information on portion sizes, you can visit the NHS website regarding their '5 a day' guidelines: A Guide to Portion Sizes for Your 5 A Day.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, an 80g portion of raw sweet potato will have slightly fewer calories than the same weight of cooked sweet potato. This is because cooking causes some of the water content to evaporate, concentrating the nutrients and calories in the cooked weight.

An 80g serving of raw sweet potato contains around 69 calories, while an 80g serving of baked sweet potato contains approximately 72 calories.

Yes, an 80g serving of sweet potato counts as one of your 5-a-day portions, unlike white potatoes which do not. This is a common guideline in public health campaigns.

When a sweet potato is baked, it loses some of its water content through evaporation. This means that 80g of cooked sweet potato will come from a slightly heavier piece of raw sweet potato. Conversely, a pre-baked sweet potato of 80g would contain slightly more concentrated nutrients per gram than its raw counterpart.

The easiest and most accurate way to measure an 80g portion of sweet potato is by using a digital food scale. Simply place the raw or cooked sweet potato on the scale and cut or add until it reaches 80g.

The size of the sweet potato variety significantly affects what an 80g portion looks like. A small sweet potato might be close to 80g, while for larger varieties, 80g would only be a small portion of the whole vegetable. This variability makes weighing the most reliable method.

An 80g serving of sweet potato is rich in beta-carotene, which your body converts into Vitamin A. This is highly beneficial for vision and immune function.

An 80g serving of sweet potato contains a moderate amount of carbohydrates (around 16-17g). For low-carb diets, this can fit depending on the daily allowance, but it is important to track it as part of your total carb intake.