Banana vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Banana and Sweet Potatoes


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

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

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

  • Both sweet potatoes and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Sweet potato has 66% less sugar than banana.
  • Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than banana, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
  • Sweet potato has more thiamin and pantothenic acid.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of banana 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: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Banana src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between banana and sweet potatoes. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, banana is similar to sweet potatoes for protein, carbs and fat. Banana has a macronutrient ratio of 5:93:3 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Banana Sweet Potatoes
Protein 5% 7%
Carbohydrates 93% 92%
Fat 3% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both sweet potatoes and banana are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 15% more dietary fiber than banana - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potato has 66% less sugar than banana - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and banana are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Banana has 263% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 235 times more Vitamin A than banana - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and banana has 3ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Banana Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.665 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.334 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.367 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 20 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 500% more calcium than banana - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.

potassium

Both sweet potatoes and banana are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg 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 banana and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of kaempferol, myricetin and quercetin.

Banana Sweet Potatoes
kaempferol 0.11 mg 0.01 mg
myricetin 0.01 mg 0.03 mg
Quercetin 0.06 mg 0.01 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
luteolin ~ 0.02 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 banana per 100 grams, however, banana contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Banana Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 26 UG 8509 UG
alpha-carotene 25 UG 7 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 22 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Banana Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.027 G 0.001 G
Total 0.027 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both banana and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

Banana Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.013 G
Total 0.046 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: Banana (Bananas, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

Banana g

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?
Sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and banana contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.

Does sweet potatoes or banana contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and banana are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.