Margarine vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Margarine and Sweet Potatoes


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of margarine versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both sweet potatoes and margarine are high in Vitamin A.
  • Margarine has 27.7 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
  • Margarine has signficantly more Vitamin K than sweet potato.
  • Margarine is a great source of Vitamin E.
  • Sweet potato has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, margarine contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of margarine 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: Margarine (Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Margarine src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Margarine is high in calories and sweet potato has 88% less calories than margarine - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and margarine has 717 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, margarine is lighter in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Margarine has a macronutrient ratio of 0:0:100 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Margarine Sweet Potatoes
Protein ~ 7%
Carbohydrates ~ 92%
Fat 100% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Margarine has 27.7 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and margarine has 0.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than margarine - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and margarine does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Margarine has less sugar than sweet potato - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and margarine does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Sweet potatoes and margarine contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and margarine has 0.16g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Margarine is high in saturated fat and sweet potato has 100% less saturated fat than margarine - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and margarine has 15.2g of saturated fat.

trans fat

Margarine is high in trans fat and sweet potato has less trans fat than margarine - margarine has 14.9g of trans fat per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sweet potatoes and margarine contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and margarine has 0.2mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both sweet potatoes and margarine are high in Vitamin A. Margarine has 16% more Vitamin A than sweet potato - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and margarine has 819ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Margarine is a great source of Vitamin E and it has 33 times more Vitamin E than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and margarine has 9mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Margarine has signficantly more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and margarine has 93ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Sweet potato has more thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, margarine contains more Vitamin B12. Both margarine and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin.

Margarine Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.01 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.037 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.023 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.009 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 1 UG 11 UG
Vitamin B12 0.1 UG ~

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 900% more calcium than margarine - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and margarine has 3mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potato has 917% more iron than margarine - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and margarine has 0.06mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 17 times more potassium than margarine - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and margarine has 18mg 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,

Margarine Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 610 UG 8509 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, margarine has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Margarine Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 2.04 G 0.001 G
DPA 0.006 G ~
Total 2.046 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Margarine Sweet Potatoes
other omega 6 0.001 G ~
linoleic acid 22.252 G 0.013 G
Total 22.253 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: Margarine (Margarine, regular, 80% fat, composite, stick, with salt) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or margarine contain more calories in 100 grams?
Margarine is high in calories and sweet potato has 90% less calories than margarine - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and margarine has 717 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or margarine have more carbohydrates?
By weight, margarine has 27.7 times fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and margarine has 0.7g of carbohydrates.

Does sweet potatoes or margarine contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 17 times more potassium than margarine - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and margarine has 18mg of potassium.