Cassava vs Potato – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing cassava to potatoes, we picked the potatoes.

Why?

For any unfamiliar with cassava, it’s also called manioc or yuca/yucca, and it’s a tuber that can be used a lot like sweet potato. It’s popular in S. America, often in recipes that aren’t the healthiest (deep-fried chunky “cassava chips” are popular in Brazil, for example, and farofa, a flour made from cassava, is less healthy even than refined white flour from wheat), but today we’re going to judge it on its own merit—since after all, almost anything can be deep-fried and many things can be turned into flour, but it doesn’t mean we have to do that.

Let’s talk macros first: cassava has more than 2x the carbs (and 3x the sugar, specifically) while potatoes have nearly 2x the protein and more fiber. All this adds up to an exciting glycemic index for cassava (94, almost the same as pure glucose), and a very easy first-round win for potatoes.

In the category of vitamins, cassava has more of vitamins B2, B9, and E, while potatoes have more of vitamins B3, B5, and B6, so this round’s a tie.

Looking at minerals, cassava has more calcium, manganese, and selenium, while potatoes have more copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, winning another round.

Adding up the sections definitely makes for a case of “the less widely-available option is not necessarily the healthier”, especially in the macros category, but overall too.

Want to learn more?

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Enjoy!