Butterhead Lettuce vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Butterhead Lettuce and Sweet Potatoes


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

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

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

  • Both butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A and potassium.
  • Butterhead lettuce has 8 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
  • Butterhead lettuce has signficantly less calories than sweet potato.
  • Butterhead lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K.
  • Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than butterhead lettuce, however, butterhead lettuce contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
  • Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, butterhead lettuce contains more folate.
  • Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
Detailed nutritional comparison of butterhead lettuce 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: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Butterhead Lettuce src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Butterhead lettuce has signficantly less calories than sweet potato - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, butterhead lettuce is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Butterhead lettuce has a macronutrient ratio of 33:57:11 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Butterhead Lettuce Sweet Potatoes
Protein 33% 7%
Carbohydrates 57% 92%
Fat 11% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Butterhead lettuce has 8 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 54% dietary fiber and 46% sugar, whereas the carbs in sweet potatoes comprise of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 173% more dietary fiber than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 1.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - butterhead lettuce has 0.94g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - butterhead lettuce has 3.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 327% more Vitamin A than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 166ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - butterhead lettuce has 0.18mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Butterhead lettuce is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 55 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - butterhead lettuce has 102.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Butterhead Lettuce Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.057 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.062 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.357 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.15 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.082 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 73 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of calcium - butterhead lettuce has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.

iron

Butterhead lettuce has 103% more iron than sweet potato - butterhead lettuce has 1.2mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.

potassium

Both butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 42% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg 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 butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of kaempferol.

Butterhead Lettuce Sweet Potatoes
kaempferol 0.02 mg 0.01 mg
Quercetin 2.73 mg 0.01 mg
apigenin ~ 0.01 mg
luteolin ~ 0.02 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 butterhead lettuce per 100 grams, however, butterhead lettuce contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Butterhead Lettuce Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 1987 UG 8509 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 1223 UG ~
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Butterhead Lettuce Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.083 G 0.001 G
Total 0.083 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Butterhead Lettuce Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.034 G 0.013 G
Total 0.034 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: Butterhead Lettuce (Lettuce, butterhead (includes boston and bibb types), raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does butterhead lettuce or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?
Butterhead lettuce has signficantly less calories than sweet potato - butterhead lettuce has 13 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.

Is butterhead lettuce or sweet potatoes better for protein?
Butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of protein - butterhead lettuce has 1.4g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.

Does butterhead lettuce or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, butterhead lettuce has 8 times fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - butterhead lettuce has 2.2g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in butterhead lettuce are made of 50% dietary fiber and 50% sugar, whereas the carbs in sweet potatoes comprise of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.

Does butterhead lettuce or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Both butterhead lettuce and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 40% more potassium than butterhead lettuce - butterhead lettuce has 238mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.