Bean Sprouts vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Bean Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of bean sprouts versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bean sprouts and sweet potatoes:

  • Bean sprout has 65% less calories than sweet potato.
  • Bean sprout has 70% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
  • Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C.
  • Sweet potato has more Vitamin B6, however, bean sprout contains more folate.
  • Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of bean sprouts and sweet potatoes is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Bean Sprouts (Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Bean Sprouts src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Bean sprout has 65% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and bean sprout has 30 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, bean sprouts is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Bean sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 33:63:5 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Bean Sprouts Sweet Potatoes
Protein 33% 7%
Carbohydrates 63% 92%
Fat 5% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Bean sprout has 70% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and bean sprout has 5.9g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in bean sprouts comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 67% more dietary fiber than bean sprout - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and bean sprout has 1.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potatoes and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and bean sprout has 4.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Sweet potatoes and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and bean sprout has 3g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and bean sprouts are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.05g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Bean sprout is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 450% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bean sprout has 13.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 708 times more Vitamin A than bean sprout - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bean sprout has 1ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Bean sprout has 17 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bean sprout has 33ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Sweet potato has more Vitamin B6, however, bean sprout contains more folate. Both bean sprouts and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Bean Sprouts Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.084 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.124 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.749 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.088 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 61 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 131% more calcium than bean sprout - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and bean sprout has 13mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potatoes and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and bean sprout has 0.91mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 126% more potassium than bean sprout - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and bean sprout has 149mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

flavonoids

Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]

For specific flavonoid compounds, both bean sprouts and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of quercetin.

Bean Sprouts Sweet Potatoes
kaempferol 0.33 mg 0.01 mg
Quercetin 0.15 mg 0.01 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
luteolin ~ 0.02 mg
myricetin ~ 0.03 mg

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, both bean sprouts and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.

Bean Sprouts Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 6 UG 8509 UG
alpha-carotene 6 UG 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, bean sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Bean Sprouts Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.016 G 0.001 G
Total 0.016 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both bean sprouts and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Bean Sprouts Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.042 G 0.013 G
Total 0.042 G 0.013 G


Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Bean Sprouts (Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or bean sprouts contain more calories in 100 grams?
Bean sprout has 70% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and bean sprout has 30 calories.

Is sweet potatoes or bean sprouts better for protein?
Sweet potatoes and bean sprouts contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and bean sprout has 3g of protein.

Does sweet potatoes or bean sprouts have more carbohydrates?
By weight, bean sprout has 70% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and bean sprout has 5.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in bean sprouts comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

Does sweet potatoes or bean sprouts contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 130% more potassium than bean sprout - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and bean sprout has 149mg of potassium.