Cauliflower vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Cauliflower and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cauliflower
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cauliflower and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and cauliflower are high in potassium.
- Cauliflower has 71% less calories than sweet potato.
- Cauliflower has 75% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Cauliflower has more folate.
- Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cauliflower has 71% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and cauliflower has 25 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cauliflower is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Cauliflower has a macronutrient ratio of 26:66:8 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cauliflower | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 26% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 66% | 92% |
| Fat | 8% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cauliflower has 75% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cauliflower has 5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 50% more dietary fiber than cauliflower - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cauliflower has 2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and cauliflower contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cauliflower has 1.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and cauliflower contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and cauliflower has 1.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and cauliflower are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.13g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 19 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cauliflower has 48.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than cauliflower - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cauliflower does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and cauliflower contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and cauliflower contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cauliflower has 15.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cauliflower has more folate. Both cauliflower and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Cauliflower | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.05 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.06 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.507 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.667 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.184 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 57 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potatoes and cauliflower contain similar amounts of calcium - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and cauliflower has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and cauliflower contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.42mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and cauliflower are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 13% more potassium than cauliflower - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and cauliflower has 299mg 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 cauliflower and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of apigenin and luteolin.
| Cauliflower | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.03 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.09 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.36 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.54 mg | 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,
| Cauliflower | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 1 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cauliflower has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Cauliflower | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.015 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.015 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cauliflower and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cauliflower | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.016 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.019 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: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Cauliflower g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 cauliflower contain more calories in 100 grams?Cauliflower has 70% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and cauliflower has 25 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or cauliflower have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cauliflower has 80% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and cauliflower has 5g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or cauliflower contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and cauliflower are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 10% more potassium than cauliflower - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and cauliflower has 299mg of potassium.