Watermelon vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Watermelon and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
watermelon
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in watermelon and sweet potatoes:
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than watermelon, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
- Watermelon has 62% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Watermelon has 65% less calories than sweet potato.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Watermelon has 65% less calories than sweet potato - watermelon has 30 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, watermelon is similar to sweet potatoes for protein, carbs and fat. Watermelon has a macronutrient ratio of 7:90:4 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Watermelon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 90% | 92% |
| Fat | 4% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Watermelon has 62% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - watermelon has 7.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in watermelon are made of 94% sugar and 6% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in sweet potatoes comprise of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 650% more dietary fiber than watermelon - watermelon has 0.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Watermelon and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - watermelon has 6.2g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Watermelon and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of protein - watermelon has 0.61g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both watermelon and sweet potatoes are low in saturated fat - watermelon has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Watermelon has 238% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - watermelon has 8.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 24 times more Vitamin A than watermelon - watermelon has 28ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Watermelon and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - watermelon has 0.05mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Watermelon and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - watermelon has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Watermelon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.033 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.021 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.178 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.221 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.045 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 3 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 329% more calcium than watermelon - watermelon has 7mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
iron
Watermelon and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of iron - watermelon has 0.24mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
potassium
Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 201% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg 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,
| Watermelon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.46 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | ~ | 0.01 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 watermelon per 100 grams, however, watermelon contains more lycopene than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Watermelon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 303 UG | 8509 UG |
| lycopene | 4532 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 8 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both watermelon and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Watermelon | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.05 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.05 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: Watermelon (Watermelon, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Watermelon 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 % |
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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 % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 watermelon or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?Watermelon has 70% less calories than sweet potato - watermelon has 30 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.
Does watermelon or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, watermelon has 60% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - watermelon has 7.6g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in watermelon are made of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in sweet potatoes comprise of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.
Does watermelon or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 200% more potassium than watermelon - watermelon has 112mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.