Kale vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Kale and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
kale
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in kale and sweet potatoes:
- Both kale and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Kale has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Kale has 59% less calories than sweet potato.
- Kale has more riboflavin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid.
- Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than kale, however, kale contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Kale (Kale, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Kale has 59% less calories than sweet potato - kale has 35 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, kale is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Kale has a macronutrient ratio of 28:41:31 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Kale | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 28% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 41% | 92% |
| Fat | 31% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Kale has 3.5 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato - kale has 4.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in kale are made of 81% dietary fiber and 19% sugar, whereas the carbs in sweet potatoes comprise of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both kale and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber. Kale has 37% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - kale has 4.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Kale and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - kale has 0.99g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Kale and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of protein - kale has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both kale and sweet potatoes are low in saturated fat - kale has 0.18g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 37 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - kale has 93.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both kale and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 194% more Vitamin A than kale - kale has 241ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Kale and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - kale has 0.66mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 215 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - kale has 389.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Kale has more riboflavin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid. Both kale and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Kale | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.113 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.347 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 1.18 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.37 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.147 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 62 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Kale is an excellent source of calcium and it has 747% more calcium than sweet potato - kale has 254mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
iron
Kale has 162% more iron than sweet potato - kale has 1.6mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
potassium
Both kale and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Kale is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - kale has 348mg 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,
| Kale | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| isorhamnetin | 23.6 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 46.8 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Quercetin | 22.58 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 kale per 100 grams, however, kale contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Kale | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2873 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 6261 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, kale has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Kale | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.378 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.378 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, kale has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Kale | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.291 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.294 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: Kale (Kale, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Kale g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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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 % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 kale or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?Kale has 60% less calories than sweet potato - kale has 35 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.
Does kale or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, kale has 3.5 times fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - kale has 4.4g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in kale are made of 80% dietary fiber and 20% sugar, whereas the carbs in sweet potatoes comprise of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.
Does kale or sweet potatoes contain more calcium?
Kale is a rich source of calcium and it has 750% more calcium than sweet potato - kale has 254mg of calcium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
Does kale or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Both kale and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Kale is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - kale has 348mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.