Brown Sugar vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Brown Sugar and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
brown sugar
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown sugar and sweet potatoes:
- Brown sugar is an excellent source of calcium.
- 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.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Brown sugar is high in calories and sweet potato has 77% less calories than brown sugar - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and brown sugar has 380 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown sugar is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Brown sugar has a macronutrient ratio of 0:100:0 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Sugar | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 100% | 92% |
| Fat | ~ | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Brown sugar is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 79% less carbohydrates than brown sugar - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and brown sugar has 98.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than brown sugar - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Brown sugar is high in sugar and sweet potato has 96% less sugar than brown sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and brown sugar has 97g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and brown sugar contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and brown sugar has 0.12g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and brown sugar are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than brown sugar - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than brown sugar - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and brown sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and brown sugar contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and brown sugar does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Brown Sugar | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | ~ | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.11 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.132 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 1 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Brown sugar is an excellent source of calcium and it has 177% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and brown sugar has 83mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and brown sugar contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron.
potassium
Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 153% more potassium than brown sugar - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and brown sugar has 133mg of potassium.
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: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Brown Sugar 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 brown sugar contain more calories in 100 grams?Brown sugar is high in calories and sweet potato has 80% less calories than brown sugar - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and brown sugar has 380 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or brown sugar have more carbohydrates?
By weight, brown sugar is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 80% fewer carbohydrates than brown sugar - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and brown sugar has 98.1g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or brown sugar contain more calcium?
Brown sugar is a rich source of calcium and it has 180% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium in 100 grams and brown sugar has 83mg of calcium.
Does sweet potatoes or brown sugar contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 150% more potassium than brown sugar - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and brown sugar has 133mg of potassium.