Beets vs. Russet Potato

Nutrition comparison of Beets and Russet Potato


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

We compared the nutritional contents of beets versus russet potato (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and russet potato:

  • Both beets and russet potato are high in potassium.
  • Beet is a great source of dietary fiber.
  • Russet potato has 9.9 times less sugar than beet.
  • Russet potato has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, beet contains more folate.
Detailed nutritional comparison of beets and russet potato 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Beets src
Image of Russet Potato src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Beet has 46% less calories than russet potato - beet has 43 calories per 100 grams and russet potato has 79 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, beets is lighter in carbs and similar to russet potato for protein and fat. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:83:3 and for russet potato, 11:89:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Beets Russet Potato
Protein 14% 11%
Carbohydrates 83% 89%
Fat 3% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Beet has 47% less carbohydrates than russet potato - beet has 9.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.

The carbs in beets are made of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 89% starch, 7% dietary fiber and 3% sugar.

dietary fiber

Beet is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 115% more dietary fiber than russet potato - beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.3g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Russet potato has 9.9 times less sugar than beet - beet has 6.8g of sugar per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.62g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of protein - beet has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and russet potato has 2.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both beets and russet potato are low in saturated fat - beet has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and russet potato has 5.7mg of Vitamin C.

Vitamin A

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beet has 2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and russet potato does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Russet potato has more thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6, however, beet contains more folate. Both beets and russet potato contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Beets Russet Potato
Thiamin 0.031 MG 0.082 MG
Riboflavin 0.04 MG 0.033 MG
Niacin 0.334 MG 1.035 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.155 MG 0.301 MG
Vitamin B6 0.067 MG 0.345 MG
Folate 109 UG 14 UG

Minerals

calcium

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of calcium - beet has 16mg of calcium per 100 grams and russet potato has 13mg of calcium.

iron

Beets and russet potato contain similar amounts of iron - beet has 0.8mg of iron per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.

potassium

Both beets and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 28% more potassium than beet - beet has 325mg of potassium per 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg 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,

Beets Russet Potato
beta-carotene 20 UG ~
lutein + zeaxanthin ~ 5 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both beets and russet potato contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Beets Russet Potato
alpha linoleic acid 0.005 G 0.01 G
Total 0.005 G 0.01 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beets and russet potato contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Beets Russet Potato
linoleic acid 0.055 G 0.032 G
Total 0.055 G 0.032 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: Beets (Beets, raw) and Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .

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FAQ

Does beets or russet potato contain more calories in 100 grams?
Beet has 50% less calories than russet potato - beet has 43 calories in 100g and russet potato has 79 calories.

Does beets or russet potato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beet has 50% fewer carbohydrates than russet potato - beet has 9.6g of carbs for 100g and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in beets are made of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in russet potato comprise of 90% starch, 10% dietary fiber and 0% sugar.

Does beets or russet potato contain more potassium?
Both beets and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 30% more potassium than beet - beet has 325mg of potassium in 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.

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