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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cauliflower 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: Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cauliflower src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

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 25:66:9 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cauliflower Sweet Potatoes
Protein 25% 7%
Carbohydrates 66% 92%
Fat 9% 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 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 Cauliflower or Sweet Potatoes .

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

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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.