Papaya vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Papaya and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
papaya
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in papaya and sweet potatoes:
- Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than papaya, however, papaya contains more lycopene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, papaya contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Papaya has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and papaya has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, papaya is heavier in fat and similar to sweet potatoes for protein and carbs. Papaya has a macronutrient ratio of 4:91:5 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Papaya | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 4% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 92% |
| Fat | 5% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Papaya has 46% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 76% more dietary fiber than papaya - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and papaya has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and papaya contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and papaya has 7.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and papaya contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and papaya has 0.47g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and papaya are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and papaya has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 24 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and papaya has 60.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 14 times more Vitamin A than papaya - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and papaya has 47ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and papaya has 0.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and papaya contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and papaya has 2.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, papaya contains more folate. Both papaya and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Papaya | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.023 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.357 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.191 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.038 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 37 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 50% more calcium than papaya - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and papaya has 20mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and papaya contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and papaya has 0.25mg of iron.
potassium
Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 85% more potassium than papaya - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and papaya has 182mg 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, both papaya and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of apigenin, luteolin, kaempferol and myricetin.
| Papaya | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | 0.02 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 0.01 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than papaya per 100 grams, however, papaya contains more lycopene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both papaya and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Papaya | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 274 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 2 UG | 7 UG |
| lycopene | 1828 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 89 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, papaya has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Papaya | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.047 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both papaya and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Papaya | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.011 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: Papaya (Papayas, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Papaya g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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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 papaya contain more calories in 100 grams?Papaya has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and papaya has 43 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or papaya have more carbohydrates?
By weight, papaya has 50% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and papaya has 10.8g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or papaya contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 90% more potassium than papaya - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and papaya has 182mg of potassium.