Fact Check: Potato Nutrition in Skin vs. Flesh
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Are all the nutrients in the potato’s skin?
No. The only nutrient that’s significantly reduced by removing the potato’s skin is fiber, and even then, more than half of the fiber is in the flesh. Most other nutrients are found in more significant quantities in the flesh of a potato, not the skin.
FACTS
- Fiber is the only nutrient significantly lost when the skin is removed. A medium (5.3 ounce) potato contains 2 grams of fiber with the skin and 1 gram of fiber without the skin.1
- Potassium and vitamin C are found predominantly in the flesh of the potato. A medium (5.3 ounce) potato with the skin contains 620 milligrams of potassium and 27 milligrams of vitamin C. Removing the skin eliminates approximately 157 milligrams of potassium and 4.3 milligrams of vitamin C.1
REFERENCES
1. U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, “Potatoes, raw, skin,” ID 170032, https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/170032/nutrients. Accessed November 8, 2024.
