Rice vs Potato: Calories, Nutrition & Which Is Better?
Per 100g, boiled potato is the lighter carb: about 77 kcal versus about 130 kcal for cooked white rice. One medium boiled potato (~150g) is roughly 116 kcal, while one cup of cooked rice (~186g) is roughly 242 kcal. Potatoes also bring more fiber and potassium — but how you cook them can erase the whole advantage.
🍚 White Rice (cooked)
Calories per 100g: ~130 kcal
Per 1 cup (~186g): ~242 kcal
Protein: 2.7g · Carbs: 28g · Fat: 0.3g (per 100g)
Fiber: 0.4g per 100g
Best for: quick energy, post-workout meals, easy volume
🥔 Potato (boiled)
Calories per 100g: ~77–87 kcal
Per 1 medium potato (~150g): ~116 kcal
Protein: 2g · Carbs: 17g · Fat: 0.1g (per 100g)
Fiber: ~2.2g per 100g · Potassium: ~421mg
Best for: weight loss, filling low-calorie meals, potassium
Rice vs Potato: side-by-side comparison
| Factor | White Rice | Boiled Potato | Better choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories (per 100g) | ~130 kcal | ~77–87 kcal | Potato |
| Calories (typical serving) | ~242 kcal (1 cup) | ~116 kcal (1 medium) | Potato |
| Protein (per 100g) | 2.7g | 2g | Rice (both low) |
| Carbs (per 100g) | 28g | 17g | Depends on goal |
| Fat (per 100g) | 0.3g | 0.1g | Tie — both minimal |
| Fiber (per 100g) | 0.4g | ~2.2g | Potato |
| Potassium | Low | ~421mg per 100g | Potato |
| Typical serving size | 1 cup cooked (~186g) | 1 medium potato (~150g) | — |
| Weight loss suitability | Good with measured portions | Very good — highly filling | Potato |
| Muscle gain suitability | Excellent — easy fast carbs | Good, but bulky to eat in volume | Rice |
| Satiety / fullness | Lower — fast digesting | Very high for its calories | Potato |
| Best use case | Post-workout, curries, meal prep | Weight-loss dinners, everyday sides | Depends on goal |
Values come from the CalorieMetrica nutrition database — the same data behind the Food Compare tool and Meal Planner. Potato values are for plain boiled potato; frying, roasting in oil or adding butter changes the numbers dramatically. See Data Sources.
Calories: rice vs potato
Boiled potato is one of the lowest-calorie staple carbs there is: about 77–87 kcal per 100g, because a potato is roughly 80% water. Cooked white rice runs about 130 kcal per 100g — still moderate, but around 60% more than potato gram for gram.
Servings tell the same story. A medium boiled potato (~150g) delivers about 116 kcal; a single cup of cooked rice (~186g) delivers about 242 kcal. To eat 500 kcal of boiled potatoes you would need to get through roughly 600g of them — most people feel full long before that. Reaching 500 kcal of rice takes just two cups, which disappear easily under a good curry.
The trap is preparation. French fries run roughly 3–4× the calories of boiled potato, and mashed potato made with butter and cream lands somewhere in between. A potato advantage measured in the pan can vanish in the fryer.
Nutrition comparison
Neither food is a protein source — rice offers 2.7g and potato about 2g per 100g — so the daal, chicken, eggs or yogurt on the plate matters far more than which starch sits beside them. Check your target with the Protein Calculator.
Beyond calories, potato is the more nutrient-dense choice. It brings around 2.2g of fiber per 100g (rice: 0.4g), a meaningful dose of potassium (~421mg per 100g, useful for blood-pressure balance in salty diets), plus vitamin C and B6. Polished white rice loses most of its bran and germ in milling, which is why its fiber and micronutrient numbers are so low.
Rice counters with practicality: it is gluten-free, extremely gentle on the stomach, stores and reheats well for meal prep, and its fast-release carbohydrate is exactly what a body wants after hard training. Both foods are naturally very low in fat and sodium until cooking adds them.
Which is better for weight loss?
Boiled potato, for most people, and it is not close. Potatoes routinely top satiety rankings — the combination of water weight, fiber and volume means a 300-kcal plate of boiled potatoes keeps you full far longer than 300 kcal of soft, fast-digesting rice. Swapping the rice on a dinner plate for boiled or baked potato often saves 100+ kcal per meal without any feeling of sacrifice.
The rule that matters: keep the potatoes boiled, baked or air-fried. Once they hit deep oil, the comparison flips hard. Get your daily target from the TDEE Calculator, check your starting point with the BMI Calculator, and build the week in the Meal Planner.
Which is better for muscle gain?
Rice takes this one. A bulking diet needs a lot of carbohydrate, and rice is simply easier to eat in volume: three cups of rice (~726 kcal) go down without a fight, while the equivalent 900g of boiled potato is a genuine chore. Rice also pairs neatly with the classic gym meal — 200g rice plus 150g chicken breast is roughly 500 kcal with about 50g protein.
Potatoes still have a place around training: they digest quickly for a vegetable and their potassium supports recovery. But as the everyday engine of a calorie surplus, rice wins on sheer practicality. Set your intake with the Protein Calculator and plan meals in the Meal Planner.
Which is healthier overall?
Plain-for-plain, potato edges it: more fiber, more potassium, more vitamins, fewer calories. But "healthier" depends almost entirely on preparation and portion. A boiled potato beside grilled fish is a genuinely excellent meal; a plate of fries is not, and an oversized mound of either starch outweighs the differences between them.
Frequency matters too. Rice-eating cultures and potato-eating cultures both include long-lived, healthy populations — the pattern around the starch (vegetables, legumes, portion habits) predicts more than the starch itself. If you have diabetes or another medical condition, both foods raise blood glucose meaningfully; portion size and pairing with protein and vegetables help, and your clinician's guidance should lead.
Rice and potato around the world
In South Asia the two often share one plate — aloo goes into curries, parathas and biryanis while rice anchors the meal, so the real question is usually portion, not either/or. Across the Middle East, rice dishes like kabsa and machboos dominate mains while potato appears as sides and street food. In Western meal patterns the swap is more direct: potato, rice or pasta occupy the same slot beside a protein. Wherever you eat, the practical rule is identical: starch on a quarter of the plate, vegetables on half, protein on the rest. Regional guides: Pakistani Food Calories and Indian Food Calories.
Practical meal examples
Weight-loss plate (~420 kcal): 2 medium boiled potatoes (~230 kcal) + 100g grilled chicken (~165 kcal) + green salad with lemon (~25 kcal).
Muscle-gain plate (~680 kcal): 1.5 cups white rice (~360 kcal) + 150g chicken breast (~250 kcal) + yogurt raita (~70 kcal) — about 50g protein.
Balanced daily plate (~500 kcal): 1 small boiled potato (~90 kcal) + ½ cup rice (~120 kcal) + daal (~180 kcal) + sabzi (~110 kcal).
Build any of these in the Meal Planner or the South Asian Meal Planner.
FAQs: rice vs potato
Which has fewer calories, rice or potato?
Boiled potato has fewer calories: about 77–87 kcal per 100g versus about 130 kcal for cooked white rice. A medium boiled potato (~150g) is roughly 116 kcal, while a cup of cooked rice (~186g) is roughly 242 kcal.
Is potato better than rice for weight loss?
For most people, yes — boiled potato is lower in calories per 100g, higher in fiber, and extremely filling for its calories. The advantage only holds for boiled, baked or air-fried potatoes; frying or heavy butter can double or triple the calories.
Which has more protein, rice or potato?
They are very close and both low: cooked white rice has about 2.7g protein per 100g and boiled potato about 2g. Neither is a real protein source, so pair either with daal, chicken, eggs, fish or yogurt.
Are potatoes fattening?
Plain boiled or baked potatoes are not — at roughly 77–87 kcal per 100g they are among the most filling, lowest-calorie staple carbs. The reputation comes from fries, chips and creamy mashed preparations, which are far higher in calories.
Which is better for gym and muscle gain diets?
Rice is usually more practical for muscle gain because large carb portions are easy to eat and digest around training. Potatoes work too, but their bulk makes hitting high carbohydrate targets harder.
Should diabetics choose rice or potato?
Both raise blood glucose meaningfully, and the effect depends heavily on portion, cooking and what you eat alongside them. Keeping portions measured and adding protein, vegetables and legumes helps with either. Follow your doctor or dietitian's guidance for your own targets.
Related pages
Keep going
Compare any two foods instantly in the Food Compare tool, build a full day around your choice in the Meal Planner, find your calorie target with the TDEE Calculator, or check protein needs with the Protein Calculator.
📊 Values are practical estimates from the CalorieMetrica database. Homemade portions vary with variety, cooking method and added fat. See Data Sources.