Chicken Breast vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Chicken Breast and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
chicken breast
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chicken breast and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and chicken breast are high in potassium.
- Chicken breast has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, sweet potato contains more folate.
- Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Chicken breast is high in calories and sweet potato has 48% less calories than chicken breast - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and chicken breast has 165 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chicken breast is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Chicken breast has a macronutrient ratio of 79:0:21 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chicken Breast | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 79% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 92% |
| Fat | 21% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chicken breast has less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than chicken breast - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Chicken breast has less sugar than sweet potato - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Chicken breast is an excellent source of protein and it has 18 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sweet potatoes and chicken breast contain similar amounts of saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Sweet potato has less cholesterol than chicken breast - chicken breast has 85mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than chicken breast - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chicken breast does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 117 times more Vitamin A than chicken breast - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chicken breast has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Chicken breast has more Vitamin D than sweet potato - chicken breast has 5iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.27mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and chicken breast contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chicken breast has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Chicken breast has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, sweet potato contains more folate. Both chicken breast and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Chicken Breast | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.07 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.114 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 13.712 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.965 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.6 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 11 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.34 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 100% more calcium than chicken breast - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Chicken breast has 70% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and chicken breast has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and chicken breast are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 32% more potassium than chicken breast - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, chicken breast has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DHA than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.03 G | 0.001 G |
| DHA | 0.02 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.01 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.07 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chicken breast has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Chicken Breast | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.59 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.06 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.65 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: Chicken Breast (Chicken, broilers or fryers, breast, meat only, cooked, roasted) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Cooked Chicken Breast g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or chicken breast contain more calories in 100 grams?Chicken breast is high in calories and sweet potato has 50% less calories than chicken breast - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and chicken breast has 165 calories.
Is sweet potatoes or chicken breast better for protein?
Chicken breast is a fantastic source of protein and it has 18 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and chicken breast has 31g of protein.
Does sweet potatoes or chicken breast have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chicken breast has fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and chicken breast has no carbs..
Does sweet potatoes or chicken breast contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and chicken breast are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 30% more potassium than chicken breast - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and chicken breast has 256mg of potassium.