How does potato compare to rice nutritionally?

Potatoes significantly outperform rice across most nutritional metrics, particularly in micronutrient density and caloric efficiency.

Caloric and Macronutrient Comparison:

Boiled potatoes contain only 87 kcal per 100g compared to boiled white rice at 130 kcal (USDA FoodData Central). Despite lower absolute protein content (1.9g vs 2.7g per 100g), potato protein has superior biological value at 90 compared to rice's 56 (FAO). When comparing protein per 100 kcal, potatoes provide 2.7g versus rice's 1.9g (USDA), making potatoes more protein-efficient per calorie consumed.

Micronutrient Advantages:

Potatoes deliver substantially more potassium than rice — 3-9 times more according to comparative studies (USDA FoodData Central). Potatoes also provide meaningful vitamin C, which is completely absent in rice, and produce more vitamin C per hectare than any cereal crop (CIP). The iron in potatoes has higher bioavailability due to the co-presence of vitamin C (CIP).

Agricultural Efficiency:

Per hectare, potatoes produce 15-25 million kcal compared to rice's 6-12 million kcal, delivering 2-4 times more calories under comparable conditions (FAO IYP 2008). For protein yield, potatoes generate 200-400 kg per hectare versus rice's 100-200 kg (CIP). Most dramatically, potatoes produce 5.6 kcal per liter of water consumed compared to rice's 0.7 kcal per liter (FAO, Water Footprint Network).

Satiety and Glycemic Considerations:

Potatoes scored 323 on the Satiety Index — the highest of all tested foods — compared to white bread's reference score of 100 (Holt et al. 1995). However, boiled potatoes have a glycemic index of 78 compared to white rice's 73 (Foster-Powell et al. 2002).