Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? (2024)

Yes, sweet potato skins are totally edible, so put the peeler down and step away from the tuber. Find out why you should be eating sweet potato skin.

By

Alex Loh

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? (1)

Alex Loh isEatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for theEatingWellaudience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas.

Published on April 21, 2022

Reviewed by Dietitian

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? (2)

Reviewed by DietitianJessica Ball, M.S., RD

Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition toEatingWell, her work has appeared inFood & Wine,Real Simple,Parents,Better Homes and GardensandMyRecipes.

Whether you fry them, mash them or roast them, sweet potatoes are as versatile as they are nutritious. When prepping the tuber to use in recipes like Stuffed Sweet Potato with Hummus Dressing or Air-Fryer Sweet Potato Chips, you may be asking yourself, "Can you eat the skin of a sweet potato?" We dive into the research on whether sweet potato skins are edible, and the potential benefits of eating sweet potato skins.

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin?

Yes, you can eat sweet potato skin, whether it's an orange, white or purple sweet potato. So the next time you make sweet potatoes, try keeping the skin on. Not only will it save you prep time and add a textural component to the dish, but there are also nutritional benefits to leaving the peel on. Sweet potatoes are known for being good sources of vitamin A, vitamin C and fiber, and research suggests the peel is important for fiber intake.

A 2021 study published in Agronomy examined various nutritional values of purple-fleshed sweet potatoes that were unpeeled and peeled, and also analyzed the peel itself. They found that peeling the sweet potato led to a 64% loss of fiber compared to the unpeeled version. Researchers concluded that keeping the skin on a sweet potato "is the best condition to maintain the high fiber content."

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? (3)

Similarly, a 2022 study published in Food Research examined the potential health benefits of incorporating powdered sweet potato peel in cookies (the study refers to biscuits, a common term for cookies in English-speaking countries outside the U.S.). The study found that dietary fiber content increased significantly when orange or purple sweet-potato-peel powders were added to the cookie dough. In fact, the cookies with sweet-potato-peel powders had over double the dietary fiber of the control cookies (increasing from 0.8% to 2.3% fiber by weight).

So, why is fiber so important? Well, fiber has a slew of health benefits, including helping lower your risk of heart disease, promoting healthy gut bacteria and helping you stay regular. Plus, fiber can help you feel full for longer periods of time, which may be beneficial for weight loss if that is your goal. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating at least 25 grams of fiber each day for women and 31 grams of fiber for men. For reference, a medium baked sweet potato has about 5 grams of fiber (it's also one of the top high-fiber diet foods). Just remember that much of that fiber resides in the sweet potato's skin.

The Bottom Line

You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

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Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? (2024)

FAQs

Can You Eat Sweet Potato Skin? ›

You can eat sweet potato skin. It's a good source of fiber, a nutrient that may help lower the risk of heart disease and keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. The next time you make a sweet potato dish, whether it's a roasted side dish or a hearty, cozy casserole, leave the peel on.

Why can't you eat the skin of a sweet potato? ›

According to Healthline, you can eat sweet potato skin. Doing so comes with some big health benefits. This part of the spud has several vitamins and minerals including: Fiber.

Is the skin the healthiest part of a sweet potato? ›

Sweet potato skins are safe to eat and can be easily added to most recipes. They're rich in fiber, other nutrients, and antioxidants that can help support a healthy gut, increase feelings of fullness, and prevent chronic disease. If you're looking to get the most nutrition out of your sweet potato, keep the peel on.

Is the skin of a sweet potato hard to digest? ›

Mashing sweet potatoes is helpful because it saves your digestive tract some of the effort of breaking down food. It's also important to remove the potato skin because this can be hard to digest, says Carrie Dennett, MPH, a registered dietitian nutritionist and owner of Nutrition By Carrie.

Do sweet potato skins taste good? ›

By itself the peel is pretty bitter, but that bitterness pairs well with the potato's sweet interior. In fact, the combination of sweet flesh, lightly bitter peel, and all those caramelized bits on the inside is pretty delightful.

Is it OK to peel sweet potatoes? ›

Like most potatoes, sweet potatoes grow underground and should be rinsed and lightly scrubbed before peeling. Peel the sweet potato from root to tip: Obvious, but helpful! Use a serrated peeler if you've got it, although a regular peeler is fine.

What are the benefits of sweet potatoes on skin? ›

Vitamin C is essential for collagen production, a protein that keeps your skin firm and wrinkle free. Sweet potatoes contain a significant amount of vitamin C, which can help boost collagen production that can improve skin elasticity and prevent premature aging.

Are sweet potatoes inflammatory? ›

The beta-carotene in sweet potatoes has been shown to fight inflammation, and eating them regularly can help ease joint pain and other symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. If you're looking for a delicious way to reduce inflammation, add some sweet potatoes to a salad or bake alongside protein!

When not to eat sweet potatoes? ›

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

What is the healthiest way to eat a sweet potato? ›

The healthiest ways to prepare sweet potatoes are to steam or boil them. You can also bake, roast, or fry sweet potatoes, but you should take care to limit these preparation methods, which will cause the sugars to break down in different ways and often include extra recipe ingredients like oil, butter, or sugar.

Is sweet potato a junk food? ›

Sweet potatoes are root vegetables that are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, including beta-carotenes. They are good value for money, count as one of your 5 a day and make an easy, nutritious swap for other carb-rich staples.

Does sweet potato skin cause constipation? ›

One medium-baked sweet potato with skin has 3.8 grams of fiber, which can help get things moving along. This high fiber content in sweet potatoes helps prevent and relieve constipation. The skin contains most of the fiber so leave it on for the biggest benefits.

Does sweet potato bloat you? ›

Although there is no harm in taking this carbohydrate, excess intake may be troublesome for those suffering from stomach discomfort. Having excessive sweet potatoes when suffering from stomach discomfort may lead to diarrhea, stomach aches, and bloating.

Is it safe to eat sweet potato skins? ›

Yes, you can eat sweet potato skin, whether it's an orange, white or purple sweet potato. So the next time you make sweet potatoes, try keeping the skin on. Not only will it save you prep time and add a textural component to the dish, but there are also nutritional benefits to leaving the peel on.

Is it okay to eat sweet potatoes every day? ›

Sweet potatoes are full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber to support your eye, digestive and heart health. They're generally safe to eat daily, especially if you eat them with calcium to prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones. There are so many fun and tasty ways to eat sweet potatoes.

Can you eat sweet potato skin on fries? ›

Scrub each sweet potato well, and place it on a cutting board. You can peel the sweet potatoes if you like, but I prefer to leave the skin on. It's packed with fiber, and I think it makes the fries crispier!

Is it bad to eat the skin of a potato? ›

To get the most antioxidants, leave the skins on and choose colorful varieties like red and purple potatoes. The more color, the more antioxidants. Plus, the skin of some potatoes can have up to 12 times more antioxidants than the flesh. Baked potato skin is a great source of potassium and magnesium.

When can you not eat a sweet potato? ›

If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Why eat raw sweet potato? ›

Sweet-tasting tuberous roots of sweet potato are well-rounded nutritional powerhouses with a great deal of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants [15]. Therefore, eating raw sweet potato can effectively contribute to weight loss. However, selecting a raw sweet potato with a good flavor can be challenging.

What happens if you eat off sweet potato? ›

Warnings. If you think you've eaten a sweet potato that has gone bad, keep an eye out for symptoms of food poisoning. These include upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. If you think you have food poisoning, stay hydrated and get some rest.

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