Apple vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Apple and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
apple
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in apple and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and apple are high in dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato has 60% less sugar than apple.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than apple, however, apple contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Apple has 40% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and apple has 52 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, apple is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Apple has a macronutrient ratio of 2:96:3 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Apple | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 2% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 96% | 92% |
| Fat | 3% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Apple has 31% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 81% sugar and 19% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and apple are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 25% more dietary fiber than apple - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and apple has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potato has 60% less sugar than apple - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and apple has 10.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and apple contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and apple are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and apple has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potatoes and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and apple has 4.6mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 235 times more Vitamin A than apple - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and apple has 3ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and apple has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and apple has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Apple | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.017 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.026 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.091 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.061 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 400% more calcium than apple - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potato has 408% more iron than apple - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.
potassium
Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 215% more potassium than apple - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and apple has 107mg 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 apple and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of luteolin and kaempferol.
| Apple | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.12 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.14 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Quercetin | 4.01 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 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 apple per 100 grams, however, apple contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Apple | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 27 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 29 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both apple and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Apple | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.009 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.009 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both apple and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Apple | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.043 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.043 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: Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Apple 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 % |
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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 % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 apple contain more calories in 100 grams?Apple has 40% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and apple has 52 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or apple have more carbohydrates?
By weight, apple has 30% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in apple comprise of 80% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or apple contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 220% more potassium than apple - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and apple has 107mg of potassium.