Quinoa vs. Sweet Potatoes

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

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

  • Both sweet potatoes and quinoa are high in dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than quinoa, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
  • Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, quinoa contains more folate.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of quinoa 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: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Quinoa src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Quinoa is high in calories and sweet potato has 28% less calories than quinoa - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and quinoa has 120 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, quinoa is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Quinoa has a macronutrient ratio of 15:71:15 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Quinoa Sweet Potatoes
Protein 15% 7%
Carbohydrates 71% 92%
Fat 15% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Sweet potatoes and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 83% starch, 13% dietary fiber and 4% sugar.

dietary fiber

Both sweet potatoes and quinoa are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has a little more dietary fiber (7%) than quinoa by weight - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and quinoa has 2.8g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potatoes and quinoa contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.87g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Quinoa has 180% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and quinoa has 4.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and quinoa are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.23g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and quinoa has 0.63mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and quinoa contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and quinoa does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

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

Quinoa Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.107 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.11 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.412 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid ~ 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 42 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 76% more calcium than quinoa - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and quinoa has 17mg of calcium.

iron

Quinoa has 144% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and quinoa has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 96% more potassium than quinoa - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than quinoa per 100 grams, however, quinoa contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Quinoa Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 3 UG 8509 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 53 UG ~
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Quinoa Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.085 G 0.001 G
DHA 0.015 G ~
Total 0.1 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Quinoa Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.974 G 0.013 G
other omega 6 0.003 G ~
Total 0.977 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: Quinoa (Quinoa, cooked) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or quinoa contain more calories in 100 grams?
Quinoa is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than quinoa - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and quinoa has 120 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or quinoa have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and quinoa contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and quinoa has 21.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in quinoa comprise of 80% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.

Does sweet potatoes or quinoa contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 100% more potassium than quinoa - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and quinoa has 172mg of potassium.