White Rice vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Cooked White Rice 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 white rice versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

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

  • Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
  • White rice has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
Detailed nutritional comparison of white rice 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: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of White Rice src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Here's an infographic summarizing the nutritional differences between white rice and sweet potatoes. marks particularly rich nutrients.


Calories and Carbs

calories

White rice is high in calories and sweet potato has 34% less calories than white rice - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and white rice has 130 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, white rice is similar to sweet potatoes for protein, carbs and fat. White rice has a macronutrient ratio of 8:91:2 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

White Rice Sweet Potatoes
Protein 8% 7%
Carbohydrates 91% 92%
Fat 2% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Sweet potato has 30% less carbohydrates than white rice - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and white rice has 28.6g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 900% more dietary fiber than white rice - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber.

sugar

White rice has less sugar than sweet potato - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Sweet potatoes and white rice contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and white rice has 2.4g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

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

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than white rice - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

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

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and white rice contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

White rice has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more riboflavin and Vitamin B6. Both white rice and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

White Rice Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.167 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.016 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 1.835 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.411 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.05 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 58 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 900% more calcium than white rice - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and white rice has 3mg of calcium.

iron

White rice has 144% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and white rice has 1.5mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than white rice - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and white rice has 29mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both white rice and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

White Rice Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.01 G 0.001 G
Total 0.01 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both white rice and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.

White Rice Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.046 G 0.013 G
Total 0.046 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: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or white rice contain more calories in 100 grams?
White rice is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than white rice - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and white rice has 130 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or white rice have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potato has 30% fewer carbohydrates than white rice - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and white rice has 28.6g of carbohydrates.

Does sweet potatoes or white rice contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than white rice - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and white rice has 29mg of potassium.

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