Flaxseeds vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Flaxseeds and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
flaxseeds
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flaxseeds and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and flaxseeds are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Flaxseed has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than flaxseed.
- Flaxseed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
- Sweet potato has signficantly less saturated fat than flaxseed.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Flaxseed is high in calories and sweet potato has 84% less calories than flaxseed - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and flaxseed has 534 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, flaxseeds is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Flaxseeds has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:66 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Flaxseeds | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 13% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 21% | 92% |
| Fat | 66% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potato has 30% less carbohydrates than flaxseed - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in flaxseeds comprise of 95% dietary fiber and 5% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and flaxseeds are high in dietary fiber. Flaxseed has 810% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flaxseed has 27.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and flaxseed has 1.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Flaxseed is an excellent source of protein and it has 10 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and flaxseed has 18.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sweet potato has signficantly less saturated fat than flaxseed - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flaxseed has 3.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potatoes and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and flaxseed has 0.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than flaxseed - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and flaxseed does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flaxseed has 0.31mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and flaxseeds contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and flaxseed has 4.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Flaxseed has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both flaxseeds and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Flaxseeds | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 1.644 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.161 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 3.08 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.985 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.473 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 87 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Flaxseed is an excellent source of calcium and it has 750% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.
iron
Flaxseed is an excellent source of iron and it has 839% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and flaxseeds are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 141% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg 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, flaxseed has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than flaxseed per 100 grams.
| Flaxseeds | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 651 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Flaxseeds | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 22.813 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 22.813 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Flaxseeds | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.007 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 5.903 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 5.91 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: Flaxseeds (Seeds, flaxseed) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Flaxseeds 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 % | |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| 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 | |||
| 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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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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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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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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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 flaxseeds contain more calories in 100 grams?Flaxseed is high in calories and sweet potato has 80% less calories than flaxseed - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and flaxseed has 534 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or flaxseeds have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potato has 30% fewer carbohydrates than flaxseed - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and flaxseed has 28.9g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in flaxseeds comprise of 100% dietary fiber and 10% sugar.
Does sweet potatoes or flaxseeds contain more calcium?
Flaxseed is a rich source of calcium and it has 750% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 255mg of calcium.
Does sweet potatoes or flaxseeds contain more iron?
Flaxseed is an abundant source of iron and it has 840% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and flaxseed has 5.7mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or flaxseeds contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and flaxseeds are high in potassium. Flaxseed has 140% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and flaxseed has 813mg of potassium.