Brown Rice vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Brown Rice 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 brown rice versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Brown rice has more thiamin and niacin.
  • Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of brown rice 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: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Brown Rice src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Brown rice is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than brown rice - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and brown rice has 123 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, brown rice is lighter in carbs, heavier in fat and similar to sweet potatoes for protein. Brown rice has a macronutrient ratio of 9:84:7 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Brown Rice Sweet Potatoes
Protein 9% 7%
Carbohydrates 84% 92%
Fat 7% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Sweet potatoes and brown rice contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 88% more dietary fiber than brown rice - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown rice has 1.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potatoes and brown rice contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.24g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Sweet potatoes and brown rice contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and brown rice has 2.7g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and brown rice are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.26g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and brown rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.17mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

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

The B Vitamins

Brown rice has more thiamin and niacin. Both brown rice and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Brown Rice Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.178 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.069 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 2.561 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.38 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.123 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 9 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 900% more calcium than brown rice - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown rice has 3mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potatoes and brown rice contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and brown rice has 0.56mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 292% more potassium than brown rice - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Brown Rice Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.011 G 0.001 G
Total 0.011 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Brown Rice Sweet Potatoes
other omega 6 0.004 G ~
linoleic acid 0.355 G 0.013 G
Total 0.359 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 Brown Rice or Sweet Potatoes .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Rice (Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or brown rice contain more calories in 100 grams?
Brown rice is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than brown rice - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and brown rice has 123 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or brown rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and brown rice contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and brown rice has 25.6g of carbohydrates.

Does sweet potatoes or brown rice contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 290% more potassium than brown rice - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and brown rice has 86mg of potassium.