Beets vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Beets and Sweet Potatoes


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

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

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

  • Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Beet has 52% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
  • Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, beet contains more folate.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beets 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beets src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Beet has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beets is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Beets 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:

Beets Sweet Potatoes
Protein 14% 7%
Carbohydrates 82% 92%
Fat 4% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Beet has 52% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

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

sugar

Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

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

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and beets are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Beet has 104% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 353 times more Vitamin A than beet - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beet has 2ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Beets Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.04 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.334 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.155 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.067 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 109 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 88% more calcium than beet - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.

potassium

Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in potassium. Sweet potato has a little more potassium (4%) than beet by weight - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg 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 beets and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of quercetin.

Beets Sweet Potatoes
luteolin 0.37 mg 0.02 mg
Quercetin 0.13 mg 0.01 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
kaempferol ~ 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,

Beets Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 20 UG 8509 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both beets and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Beets Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.005 G 0.001 G
Total 0.005 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Beets Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.013 G
Total 0.055 G 0.013 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Beets or Sweet Potatoes .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Beets (Beets, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or beets contain more calories in 100 grams?
Beet has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beet has 50% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

Does sweet potatoes or beets contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in potassium. Sweet potato has a little more potassium ( 0%) than beet by weight - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.