Cocoa Powder vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Cocoa Powder and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cocoa powder
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cocoa powder and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and cocoa powder are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Cocoa powder has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than cocoa powder.
- Cocoa powder has more riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid.
- Cocoa powder is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cocoa powder is high in calories and sweet potato has 62% less calories than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cocoa powder is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Cocoa powder has a macronutrient ratio of 18:53:29 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cocoa Powder | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 53% | 92% |
| Fat | 29% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cocoa powder is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 65% less carbohydrates than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and cocoa powder are high in dietary fiber. Cocoa powder has 11 times more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 37g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and cocoa powder contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of protein and it has 11 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 19.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cocoa powder is high in saturated fat and sweet potato has 100% less saturated fat than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 8.1g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cocoa powder does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and cocoa powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and cocoa powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cocoa powder has more riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid. Both cocoa powder and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin and Vitamin B6.
| Cocoa Powder | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.241 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 2.185 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.254 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.118 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 32 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of calcium and it has 327% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
iron
Cocoa powder is an excellent source of iron and it has 21 times more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and cocoa powder are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 352% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1524mg 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,
| Cocoa Powder | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 10.0 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 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, cocoa powder has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than cocoa powder per 100 grams.
| Cocoa Powder | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 38 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cocoa powder has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Cocoa Powder | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.44 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.44 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: Cocoa Powder (Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Cocoa Powder g
()
|
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 % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
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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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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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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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MG % | |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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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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MG % | |
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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% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or cocoa powder contain more calories in 100 grams?Cocoa powder is high in calories and sweet potato has 60% less calories than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and cocoa powder has 228 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or cocoa powder have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cocoa powder is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 70% fewer carbohydrates than cocoa powder - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and cocoa powder has 57.9g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or cocoa powder contain more calcium?
Cocoa powder is a rich source of calcium and it has 330% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 128mg of calcium.
Does sweet potatoes or cocoa powder contain more iron?
Cocoa powder is an abundant source of iron and it has 21 times more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 13.9mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or cocoa powder contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and cocoa powder are high in potassium. Cocoa powder has 350% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and cocoa powder has 1524mg of potassium.