Red Bell Pepper vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Red Bell Pepper and Sweet Potatoes

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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in red bell pepper and sweet potatoes:

  • Both sweet potatoes and red bell pepper are high in Vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium.
  • Red bell pepper has 70% less calories than sweet potato.
  • Red bell pepper has 70% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
  • Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
  • Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than red bell pepper, however, red bell pepper contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
  • Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, red bell pepper contains more folate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of red bell pepper 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: Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Red Bell Pepper src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Red bell pepper has 70% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 26 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, red bell pepper is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Red bell pepper has a macronutrient ratio of 13:79:8 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Red Bell Pepper Sweet Potatoes
Protein 13% 7%
Carbohydrates 79% 92%
Fat 8% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Red bell pepper has 70% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in red bell pepper comprise of 67% sugar and 33% dietary fiber.

dietary fiber

Both sweet potatoes and red bell pepper are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 43% more dietary fiber than red bell pepper - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 2.1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potatoes and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.2g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Sweet potatoes and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.99g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and red bell pepper are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.06g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Red bell pepper is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 52 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 127.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Both sweet potatoes and red bell pepper are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 352% more Vitamin A than red bell pepper - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 157ug of Vitamin A.

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 1.6mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 4.9ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

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

Red Bell Pepper Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.054 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.085 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 0.979 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.317 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.291 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 46 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 329% more calcium than red bell pepper - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 7mg of calcium.

iron

Sweet potatoes and red bell pepper contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 0.43mg of iron.

potassium

Both sweet potatoes and red bell pepper are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 60% more potassium than red bell pepper - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and red bell pepper has 211mg 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 red bell pepper and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of kaempferol.

Red Bell Pepper Sweet Potatoes
luteolin 0.61 mg 0.02 mg
kaempferol 0.02 mg 0.01 mg
Quercetin 0.23 mg 0.01 mg
apigenin ~ 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than red bell pepper per 100 grams, however, red bell pepper contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both red bell pepper and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.

Red Bell Pepper Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 1624 UG 8509 UG
alpha-carotene 20 UG 7 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 51 UG ~

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Red Bell Pepper Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.056 G 0.001 G
Total 0.056 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

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

Red Bell Pepper Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.1 G 0.013 G
Total 0.1 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: Red Bell Pepper (Peppers, sweet, red, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or red bell pepper contain more calories in 100 grams?
Red bell pepper has 70% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and red bell pepper has 26 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or red bell pepper have more carbohydrates?
By weight, red bell pepper has 70% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and red bell pepper has 6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in red bell pepper comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.

Does sweet potatoes or red bell pepper contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and red bell pepper are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 60% more potassium than red bell pepper - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and red bell pepper has 211mg of potassium.