Couscous vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous 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 couscous versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Couscous has 40.8 times less sugar than sweet potato.
  • Couscous has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than couscous.
  • Sweet potato has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of couscous 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Couscous src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Couscous is high in calories and sweet potato has 23% less calories than couscous - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, couscous is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Couscous Sweet Potatoes
Protein 14% 7%
Carbohydrates 85% 92%
Fat 2% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Sweet potatoes and couscous contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 114% more dietary fiber than couscous - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Couscous has 40.8 times less sugar than sweet potato - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Couscous has 141% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and couscous are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than couscous - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than couscous - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Sweet potato has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both couscous and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.

Couscous Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.063 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.983 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.371 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.051 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 15 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 275% more calcium than couscous - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potatoes and couscous contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 481% more potassium than couscous - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and couscous has 58mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

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, couscous has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than couscous per 100 grams.

Couscous Sweet Potatoes
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG ~
beta-carotene ~ 8509 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both couscous and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Couscous Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.003 G 0.001 G
Total 0.003 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, couscous has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Couscous Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.06 G 0.013 G
Total 0.06 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?
Couscous is high in calories and sweet potato has 20% less calories than couscous - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and couscous contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

Does sweet potatoes or couscous contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 480% more potassium than couscous - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and couscous has 58mg of potassium.