What Potatoes Are Lowest in Carbs? Finding the Right Variety

December 16, 2025 •

3 min read

While standard potatoes are known for being high in carbohydrates, certain varieties and cooking methods can significantly impact their total carb and glycemic load. If you're wondering what potatoes are lowest in carbs, the answer goes beyond a simple variety and involves how you prepare them.

Quick Summary

The carb content in potatoes varies by variety and is heavily influenced by cooking methods, such as creating resistant starch. Specialized options like Carisma potatoes offer lower carbs, while techniques like cooling and reheating standard potatoes also reduce their glycemic impact.

Key Points

Carisma Potatoes are a Top Choice: Specialized, non-GMO varieties like Carisma are bred to contain 25% fewer carbs than standard potatoes.
Cooling Reduces Digestible Carbs: The cooking and subsequent cooling of any potato, especially overnight, increases its resistant starch content, which acts like fiber.
Resistant Starch Benefits Last Post-Reheating: Even after reheating, potatoes that have been cooked and cooled retain their resistant starch, resulting in a lower glycemic response.
Low-Carb Vegetables Are Excellent Alternatives: For significantly lower-carb meals, substitutes like cauliflower, swede, or daikon radish can effectively mimic potato texture.
Standard Potato Varieties Vary Slightly: While differences exist between varieties like Russet, Red, and New potatoes, the carb variations are less significant than the impact of the cooking and cooling method.

Not All Potatoes Are Equal: A Look at Carb Content

When managing carbohydrate intake, understanding the nutritional differences between potato varieties is crucial. While potatoes are a staple food rich in vitamins and minerals, their carb content varies. Beyond simply choosing a different type, how a potato is prepared can profoundly alter its glycemic response, making it a more suitable option for a low-carb diet.

Specialized Low-Carb Varieties

For those who need a truly low-carb option, specifically bred potatoes offer a solution. These are not genetically modified but are cultivated through cross-breeding to naturally contain fewer carbohydrates.

Carisma Potatoes: Developed specifically to be lower in carbs and calories, Carisma potatoes are a popular choice. They reportedly have about 25% less carbs than a standard yellow or russet potato and a lower glycemic response, which is beneficial for managing blood sugar levels.
Zerella and GiLICIOUS: In other markets, varieties like Zerella and GiLICIOUS are also promoted as having significantly less carb content than average potatoes. Zerella potatoes were measured at 8.9g of carbohydrates per 100g, making them one of the lowest-carb options available.

The Role of Resistant Starch

A game-changing technique for reducing the digestible carb content of any potato involves a phenomenon called resistant starch. This occurs when cooked starchy foods, like potatoes, are cooled.

Cook the Potatoes: Boil, bake, or steam potatoes as you normally would.
Cool Them Completely: The magic happens when the potatoes are allowed to cool completely, ideally in the refrigerator overnight. This process, known as retrogradation, reconfigures some of the starches into a new crystalline structure that resists digestion.
Eat Cold or Reheat: The resistant starch formed remains largely intact even if the potatoes are reheated. You can enjoy them in a cold potato salad or use them for dishes like roasted potatoes the next day.

This method can lower the total usable carb count and the glycemic impact of standard potatoes, making them a more manageable option for those watching their blood sugar.

Comparison Table: Carbs in Common Potatoes (per 100g)


Potato Type	Preparation	Carbohydrates (g)	Notes
Carisma	Raw	~10 (est. from 15g/150g)	Bred specifically for low carb count.
Zerella	Raw	8.9	Australian low-carb variety.
New Potato	Raw	14.9	Higher moisture, lower starch than older potatoes.
Red Potato	Raw	15.9	Contains significant carbs; not keto-friendly.
Yellow Potato	Raw	17.57	Contains more beta-carotene than white potatoes.
Russet Potato	Raw	18.0	High in starch, a baseline for comparison.
Sweet Potato	Raw	21.0	Contains similar carbs to russets but higher fiber. High in Vitamin A.

Making the Best Low-Carb Choice

For the lowest carb count: If access permits, a specialized, low-carb variety like Carisma or Zerella is the best choice. They are purpose-built for lower carb diets and offer consistency.
Using standard varieties: For more commonly available potatoes, mastering the resistant starch technique is your best bet. Buy any standard type—new, red, or even russet—and cook and cool them before consumption. This method transforms a portion of their starch into a non-digestible fiber, lowering the net carb effect. The extent of the resistant starch conversion is greater when cooled completely, and it remains effective even after reheating.
Consider Sweet Potatoes Wisely: While often seen as a healthier alternative, sweet potatoes don't have a significantly lower carb count than many standard white potatoes per 100g and may have a higher glycemic index depending on preparation. Always check the specifics of the variety and cooking method.

Combining and Substituting for Lower Carbs

To further reduce your overall carbohydrate intake while still enjoying a familiar texture, you can combine or substitute potatoes with lower-carb vegetables. For example, a recipe might call for a mix of mashed cauliflower and a small portion of Yukon gold potatoes to get the desired flavor with fewer total carbs. Alternatives like turnips or daikon radish can also convincingly replace potatoes in dishes like scalloped potatoes or funeral potatoes for a keto-friendly option.

Conclusion

Determining what potatoes are lowest in carbs involves more than just picking a variety. While branded low-carb options like Carisma offer the most direct solution, the resistant starch technique of cooking and cooling is an invaluable method for anyone seeking to lower the glycemic impact of traditional potatoes. For those on very strict low-carb or keto diets, exploring suitable alternatives like turnips or cauliflower remains the safest approach. By combining smart variety choices with strategic preparation, you can enjoy the satisfaction of potatoes as part of a carb-conscious diet. For more in-depth nutritional science behind resistant starch, you can consult research from the National Institutes of Health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Specialized varieties like Carisma or Zerella are bred to have a significantly lower carb content than standard potatoes. For example, Zerella reports 8.9g of carbs per 100g.

Yes. Cooking potatoes and then cooling them completely, preferably overnight in the refrigerator, converts some of the starches into resistant starch. This reduces the number of digestible carbohydrates.

No, reheating cooked and cooled potatoes does not significantly negate the resistant starch effect. The retrograded starches remain largely resistant to digestion even after being warmed up.

Not necessarily. While often perceived as a healthier option, sweet potatoes have a carb count that can be comparable to or even slightly higher than some regular potatoes. The difference is more pronounced in the vitamin profile, with sweet potatoes offering more Vitamin A.

Resistant starch is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion in the small intestine, instead fermenting in the large intestine. It functions more like dietary fiber, promoting gut health and reducing the glycemic response of the food.

For those on a ketogenic diet, excellent low-carb and keto-friendly potato alternatives include cauliflower, turnips, swede (rutabaga), and daikon radish.

While soaking cut potatoes in water can remove some surface starch, the effect on the total carbohydrate count is likely negligible for most cooking purposes. This method is used more for texture than for significantly altering the nutritional profile.