Lentils vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils 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 lentils versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Lentil has more thiamin and folate.
  • Lentil is a great source of protein.
  • Lentil is an excellent source of iron.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
Detailed nutritional comparison of lentils 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: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Lentils src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Lentil is high in calories and sweet potato has 26% less calories than lentil - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Lentils Sweet Potatoes
Protein 30% 7%
Carbohydrates 67% 92%
Fat 3% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

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

dietary fiber

Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 163% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 475% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and lentils are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Lentils Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.169 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.073 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 1.06 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.638 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.178 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 181 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 58% more calcium than lentil - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.

iron

Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 446% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

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,

Lentils Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 5 UG 8509 UG
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Lentils Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.037 G 0.001 G
Total 0.037 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Lentils Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.137 G 0.013 G
Total 0.137 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 Lentils or Sweet Potatoes .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?
Lentil is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than lentil - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.

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

Does sweet potatoes or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 450% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.

Does sweet potatoes or lentils contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.