Yams are one of the best whole-food sources of potassium, an essential mineral for blood pressure regulation, muscle contractions, nerve signaling, and fluid balance. A 100-gram serving of yam provides around 670 mg of potassium — roughly 14% of the FDA Daily Value — while also delivering fiber, vitamin C, and complex carbohydrates. Whether you track potassium for athletic performance, kidney-conscious meal planning, or everyday diet analysis, knowing exactly how much is in your serving takes the guesswork out of your daily totals.
This Yam Potassium Calculator estimates the potassium in any yam serving, measured in grams or ounces. It compares the result with your personal daily goal, calculates the percentage achieved, shows how much potassium remains, and even tells you how much yam would be needed to reach 100% of your target. An optional custom field lets you enter the exact potassium-per-100g value printed on your product label.
Use it for meal prep, dietary logging, or simply to understand how this humble tuber compares with other potassium-rich foods.
🥔 Yam Potassium Calculator
Estimate potassium from any yam serving and see how it fits your daily target.
Leave blank to use the standard 670 mg per 100 g value.
How to Use This Tool
Start by entering how much yam you ate or plan to eat. Grams are the most precise option if you have a kitchen scale; ounces work just as well because the calculator converts them to grams at 28.35 g per ounce automatically.
Use a preset if it matches your portion:
- 100 g - a convenient reference portion for nutrition math
- 1 cup (150 g) - an approximate cooked cubed yam serving
- 1 medium (136 g) - a typical whole cooked yam
- 1 oz - handy for ounce-based recipes
Next set your daily potassium goal. The default uses the FDA Daily Value of 4,700 mg/day, but you can switch to the National Academies intakes of 3,400 mg/day for men or 2,600 mg/day for women, or type a custom target from your care team. If your yam package lists a different potassium value, enter it in the optional per-100g field; otherwise the calculator uses the standard 670 mg/100 g.
The Math Behind the Calculation
The tool applies a simple proportion:
For a 150 g serving at the default 670 mg/100 g:
The percentage of daily goal is then serving potassium ÷ goal × 100. With a 4,700 mg goal, 1,005 mg equals about 21.4% of the day's target. The reverse calculation for "yam needed for 100% goal" divides your goal by the per-100g value and multiplies by 100. At 670 mg/100 g, a 4,700 mg goal needs about 701 g of yam - a good reminder that variety beats eating a kilogram of one food.
Potassium in Yams: Reference Table
The values below are estimates from standard USDA data for true yams (Dioscorea species). Actual content varies by cultivar, soil, and cooking method, so treat them as planning numbers.
| Yam form | Serving | Approx. potassium (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Raw yam | 100 g | ~670 |
| Boiled yam, without salt | 100 g | ~670 |
| Baked or roasted yam | 100 g | ~670 |
| Cooked yam, cubed | 1 cup (~150 g) | ~1,005 |
| Whole cooked yam | 1 medium (~136 g) | ~911 |
True yams are different from sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are also nutritious but contain much less potassium - around 337 mg/100 g depending on preparation - so the two should not be treated as interchangeable in a potassium log.
Pro Tips & Common Mistakes
- Weigh after cooking. Cooked yam has a different water content than raw, so weighing the portion you actually eat gives a more realistic potassium estimate.
- Use your product label when available. If packaged yam lists potassium on the Nutrition Facts panel, enter that per-100g value in the custom field.
- Don't round too early. Round only the final answer; entering rounded serving sizes and rounded per-100g values can multiply the error.
- Keep your goal consistent. Pick one daily target and stick with it when comparing foods, rather than switching between FDA and National Academies values.
- Consider sodium together. Potassium and sodium work together in the body; if you are tracking one for kidney or blood pressure reasons, track the other too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are yams a good source of potassium?
Yes. A 100 g serving of cooked yam supplies about 670 mg of potassium, about 14% of the FDA Daily Value. That makes yams one of the more potassium-rich starchy staples, well ahead of rice and pasta.
Is this the same as a sweet potato calculator?
No. True yams are Dioscorea tubers, while sweet potatoes are Ipomoea batatas roots. Many grocery stores label orange sweet potatoes as "yams", so check your ingredient or produce label. A typical sweet potato provides roughly half the potassium of a true yam by weight.
Which daily goal should I use?
The FDA's 4,700 mg Daily Value is used for nutrition labels. The National Academies suggests Adequate Intakes of 3,400 mg/day for adult men and 2,600 mg/day for adult women. For medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease, follow the target prescribed by your healthcare provider.
Can I use this for yam flour, chips, or canned yams?
Processed forms have different water and potassium concentrations. If your product has a nutrition label, enter its potassium value in the custom field; otherwise the fresh-yam default may not be accurate.
Pair this calculator with the lentil potassium calculator or pineapple potassium calculator when you want to compare potassium across foods.