Salmon vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Salmon and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
salmon
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in salmon and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and salmon are high in potassium.
- Salmon has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, sweet potato contains more folate.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and protein.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Salmon is high in calories and sweet potato has 32% less calories than salmon - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, salmon is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Salmon has a macronutrient ratio of 67:0:33 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Salmon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 67% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 92% |
| Fat | 33% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Salmon has less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than salmon - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Salmon has less sugar than sweet potato - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Salmon is an excellent source of protein and it has 12 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and salmon are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both salmon and sweet potatoes are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Sweet potato has less cholesterol than salmon - salmon has 46mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than salmon - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 19 times more Vitamin A than salmon - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than sweet potato - salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Salmon has more niacin, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12, however, sweet potato contains more folate. Both salmon and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Salmon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.08 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.105 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 7.995 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.03 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.611 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 4 UG | 11 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.15 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 329% more calcium than salmon - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and salmon contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and salmon are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA, EPA and DPA than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.047 G | 0.001 G |
| DHA | 0.333 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.182 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.047 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.609 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, salmon has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Salmon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.004 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.081 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.085 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: Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Salmon 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 salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Salmon is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than salmon - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is sweet potatoes or salmon better for protein?
Salmon is a fantastic source of protein and it has 12 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does sweet potatoes or salmon have more carbohydrates?
By weight, salmon has fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and salmon has no carbs..
Does sweet potatoes or salmon contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and salmon are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.