Pasta vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and pasta are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and sweet potato has 77% less calories than pasta - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 92% |
| Fat | 4% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 73% less carbohydrates than pasta - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for dietary fiber - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 731% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and pasta are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than pasta - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 43% more calcium than pasta - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 441% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and pasta are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 51% more potassium than pasta - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg 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,
| Pasta | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.54 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and sweet potato has 80% less calories than pasta - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 70% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 440% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or pasta contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and pasta are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 50% more potassium than pasta - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.