Bok Choy vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Bok Choy and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
bok choy
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bok choy and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and bok choy are high in Vitamin A and potassium.
- Bok choy has 8.2 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Bok choy has signficantly less calories than sweet potato.
- Bok choy is an excellent source of Vitamin C and calcium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than bok choy, however, bok choy contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, bok choy contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Bok Choy (Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Bok choy has signficantly less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and bok choy has 13 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, bok choy is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Bok choy has a macronutrient ratio of 39:53:8 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Bok Choy | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 53% | 92% |
| Fat | 8% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Bok choy has 8.2 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and bok choy has 2.2g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in bok choy comprise of 54% sugar and 46% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 200% more dietary fiber than bok choy - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and bok choy has 1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and bok choy contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and bok choy has 1.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and bok choy contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and bok choy has 1.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and bok choy are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and bok choy has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Bok choy is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 17 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bok choy has 45mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both sweet potatoes and bok choy are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 218% more Vitamin A than bok choy - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bok choy has 223ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and bok choy contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bok choy has 0.09mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bok choy has 24 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bok choy has 45.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, bok choy contains more folate. Both bok choy and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Bok Choy | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.04 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.07 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.5 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.088 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.194 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 66 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Bok choy is an excellent source of calcium and it has 250% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and bok choy has 105mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and bok choy contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and bok choy has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and bok choy are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 34% more potassium than bok choy - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and bok choy has 252mg 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 bok choy and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of luteolin and myricetin.
| Bok Choy | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.24 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.09 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 4.33 mg | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.06 mg | 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 bok choy per 100 grams, however, bok choy contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both bok choy and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Bok Choy | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2681 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 1 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 40 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, bok choy has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Bok Choy | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.055 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both bok choy and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Bok Choy | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.042 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.042 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: Bok Choy (Cabbage, chinese (pak-choi), raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Bok Choy g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
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| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
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MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or bok choy contain more calories in 100 grams?Bok choy has signficantly less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and bok choy has 13 calories.
Is sweet potatoes or bok choy better for protein?
Sweet potatoes and bok choy contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and bok choy has 1.5g of protein.
Does sweet potatoes or bok choy have more carbohydrates?
By weight, bok choy has 8.2 times fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and bok choy has 2.2g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in bok choy comprise of 50% sugar and 50% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or bok choy contain more calcium?
Bok choy is a rich source of calcium and it has 250% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium in 100 grams and bok choy has 105mg of calcium.
Does sweet potatoes or bok choy contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and bok choy are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 30% more potassium than bok choy - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and bok choy has 252mg of potassium.