Brussels Sprouts vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Brussels 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
brussels sprouts
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Brussels sprout has 56% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Brussels sprout is a great source of calcium.
- Brussels sprout is an excellent source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than brussels sprout, however, brussels sprout contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, brussels sprout contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brussels Sprouts (Brussels sprouts, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Brussels sprout has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brussels sprouts is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Brussels sprouts has a macronutrient ratio of 26:68:6 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brussels Sprouts | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 68% | 92% |
| Fat | 6% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Brussels sprout has 56% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are high in dietary fiber. Brussels sprout has 27% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 3.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 2.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Brussels sprout has 115% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 3.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Brussels sprout is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 34 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 85mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 17 times more Vitamin A than brussels sprout - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 38ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 0.88mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Brussels sprout is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 97 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 177ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, brussels sprout contains more folate. Both brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Brussels Sprouts | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.139 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.09 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.745 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.309 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.219 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 61 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Brussels sprout is a great source of calcium and it has 40% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 42mg of calcium.
iron
Brussels sprout has 130% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 1.4mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are high in potassium. Brussels sprout has 15% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and brussels sprout has 389mg 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,
| Brussels Sprouts | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.33 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.86 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Quercetin | 1.92 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than brussels sprout per 100 grams, however, brussels sprout contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Brussels Sprouts | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 450 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 6 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1590 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, brussels sprout has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Brussels Sprouts | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.099 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.099 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Brussels Sprouts | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.045 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.001 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.046 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: Brussels Sprouts (Brussels sprouts, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Brussels Sprouts g
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Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
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| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or brussels sprouts contain more calories in 100 grams?Brussels sprout has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and brussels sprout has 43 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or brussels sprouts have more carbohydrates?
By weight, brussels sprout has 60% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and brussels sprout has 9g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or brussels sprouts contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts are high in potassium. Brussels sprout has 20% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and brussels sprout has 389mg of potassium.