Yam calories come to 158 for 1 cup of cooked cubes (136 g) and 116 per 100 g. Almost all of that energy is carbohydrate, 94% of it, with fat close to zero and sodium so low it barely registers. The portion size decides your total, so measure the scoop.
158kcal
1 cup of cubes · 136 g, cooked, unsalted
5%protein
2 gProtein
37 gCarbs
0.2 gFat
How to burn off 158 kcal
—Walking, brisk
—Jogging
—Cycling, moderate
—Swimming
Skip the math. BodyPal counts these calories from your steps and workouts automatically.
Nutrition facts
Cooked, unsalted · per 136 g
Calories
158 kcal
Protein
2 g
Carbohydrate
37 g
Fat
0.2 g
Saturated fat
0 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
11 mg
Potassium
911 mg
Iron
0.7 mg
Source: USDA FoodData Central
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Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodData Central, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food composition database, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified October 2026. How we verify our data →
Yam: calories, protein and sodium by serving
Percent of daily value uses the FDA reference of 2,000 kcal a day.
Serving
kcal
Protein
Carbs
Fat
Sodium
% DV kcal
1 cup cubes (136 g)
158
2 g
37.4 g
0.2 g
11 mg
8%
Half cup cubes (68 g)
79
1 g
18.7 g
0.1 g
5 mg
4%
Raw, 1 cup cubes (150 g)
177
2.3 g
41.8 g
0.3 g
14 mg
9%
100 g
116
1.5 g
27.5 g
0.1 g
8 mg
6%
3 × 1 cup cubes (136 g)
473
6.1 g
33 mg
5 × 1 cup cubes (136 g)
789
10.1 g
54 mg
One cup of cooked yam is a 158-calorie side
A cup of cooked yam cubes weighs 136 g and lands at 158 calories, about 8% of a 2000-calorie daily value. Drop to a half cup (68 g) and you are at 79 calories. That is a sensible side next to a piece of chicken or fish, and those two measures cover most plates.
The total climbs fast once yam becomes the main starch. Two cups (272 g) reach 316 calories, three cups (408 g) hit 473, and five cups (680 g), the kind of amount that vanishes at a holiday table, add up to 789. Protein barely moves along the way. Even five cups give only 10.1 g.
Raw weight trips up some trackers. A cup of raw cubes is 150 g and 177 calories, because the raw cup simply holds more yam than the cooked one. Log cooked yam as cooked, and use the 116 per 100 g figure for anything that does not fit neatly in a cup.
Carbs supply 94% of the calories
Per 100 g, cooked yam carries 27.5 g of carbohydrate, 1.5 g of protein and 0.1 g of fat. Run that through calories and the split is 94% carbs, 5% protein and 1% fat. This is a starchy root, not a salad vegetable, and it should be counted that way.
Very little of that carbohydrate is sugar. A cup holds 37.4 g of carbs but only 0.7 g of sugars, alongside 5.3 g of fiber. Most of the rest is starch, which means plain boiled or baked yam is a far cry from the candied versions served at Thanksgiving.
Protein is the weak spot. A cup gives 2 g, just 4% of the 50 g daily value, so yam will not carry a meal on its own. Treat it as the carbohydrate on the plate and let something else bring the protein.
Fiber and potassium are the rows worth reading
A cup of cooked yam delivers 5.3 g of fiber against a 28 g daily value, and a half cup still gives 2.7 g. Per 100 g it is 3.9 g. For a side dish with no added fat, that is a solid return on 158 calories.
Potassium is the other standout at 670 mg per 100 g. Sodium sits at the opposite end: 8 mg per 100 g and 11 mg per cup, which rounds to 0% of the daily value. Saturated fat and cholesterol are both 0. If you watch sodium, plain yam is one of the easiest starches to fit in.
Those figures describe yam cooked without salt. Butter, brown sugar, marshmallows or a salty glaze change every row on this page, so log toppings as separate items. Ready-made products such as Bruce's Candied Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes or Pictsweet Yam Patties are different foods from plain boiled cubes and deserve their own entries.
Pair yam with protein and keep the toppings honest
Because 94% of its calories come from carbs and fat is near zero, yam leaves room on the plate. Pair a half cup or a cup with a protein source and a green vegetable, and yam supplies the starch without crowding out the rest of the meal.
If you are counting calories, the half cup at 79 is the easy win. If you need more fuel for a long, active day, two cups at 316 calories give plenty of carbohydrate with very little fat. Either way, the multiples show protein staying low, so a big yam serving still needs a protein partner.
The cleanest way to keep yam light is to season it with herbs, spices or a squeeze of citrus instead of sugar and butter. Yam is easy to log by the cup or by weight, and BodyPal can also log it from a photo of your plate.
How does yam compare?
Here is how cooked yam stacks up against boiled corn, kidney beans and olives, per 100 g and per usual serving.
Verdict: For the fewest calories pick boiled corn, at 96 per 100 g and 99 for a medium ear, with more protein than yam as a bonus. For protein choose kidney beans at 8.7 g per 100 g, and keep olives for flavor only: the same 116 calories as yam, but 10.9 g of fat and 735 mg of sodium.
Most popular yam brands in the United States
Ranked by popularity in the BodyPal database
# Productkcal / 100 g
1Bruce's Yams Cut Sweet Potatoes0.66 cup · 166 g54 kcal
Most canned products sold as yams in the US are sweet potatoes packed in liquid or syrup, and the powder is dried, so their labels differ from cooked yam. Source: manufacturer labels / USDA FoodData Central.
Yam FAQs
How many calories are in a cup of yam?
A cup of cooked yam cubes (136 g) has about 158 calories, and a half cup (68 g) has 79.
Is yam good for weight loss?
Cooked yam has 116 calories, 3.9 g of fiber and 0.1 g of fat per 100 g.
Yam vs corn: which has fewer calories?
Per 100 g, cooked yam has 116 calories and boiled corn has 96.
How many carbs are in yam?
A cup of cooked yam cubes (136 g) has 37.4 g of carbs, including 5.3 g of fiber and 0.7 g of sugar.
How many calories are in baked yam?
Yam cooked without salt, whether boiled or baked, has 116 calories per 100 g and 158 in 1 cup of cubes (136 g). Baking adds nothing by itself; butter, sugar or oil on top are extra.
How many calories are in half a cup of yam?
Half a cup of cooked yam cubes (68 g) has 79 calories, with 18.7 g of carbs, 2.7 g of fiber and 1 g of protein. That is about 4% of a 2000-calorie daily value.
How many calories are in raw yam?
A cup of raw yam cubes (150 g) has 177 calories, 41.8 g of carbs and 6.2 g of fiber. The raw cup holds more yam by weight, so it lands above the cooked cup's 158.
How much protein and fiber does yam have?
A cup of cooked yam has 2 g of protein and 5.3 g of fiber. Per 100 g that is 1.5 g of protein and 3.9 g of fiber, with only 0.5 g of sugars.
