Canned Tuna vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Canned Tuna and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
canned tuna
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in canned tuna and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and canned tuna are high in potassium.
- Canned tuna is an excellent source of protein.
- Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more niacin and Vitamin B12.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Canned tuna is high in calories and sweet potato has 33% less calories than canned tuna - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, canned tuna is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Canned tuna has a macronutrient ratio of 78:0:22 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Canned Tuna | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 78% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 92% |
| Fat | 22% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Canned tuna has less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than canned tuna - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Canned tuna has less sugar than sweet potato - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Canned tuna is an excellent source of protein and it has 14 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and canned tuna are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Sweet potato has less cholesterol than canned tuna - canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than canned tuna - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 117 times more Vitamin A than canned tuna - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more niacin and Vitamin B12. Both canned tuna and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Canned Tuna | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.008 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.044 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 5.799 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.124 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.217 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 2 UG | 11 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.17 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 114% more calcium than canned tuna - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and canned tuna contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and canned tuna are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 42% more potassium than canned tuna - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA, EPA and DPA than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.071 G | 0.001 G |
| DHA | 0.629 G | ~ |
| EPA | 0.233 G | ~ |
| DPA | 0.018 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.951 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, canned tuna has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Canned Tuna | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.051 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.106 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: Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Canned Tuna 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% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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UG % | |
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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% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?Canned tuna is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than canned tuna - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.
Is sweet potatoes or canned tuna better for protein?
Canned tuna is a fantastic source of protein and it has 14 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Does sweet potatoes or canned tuna have more carbohydrates?
By weight, canned tuna has fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and canned tuna has no carbs..
Does sweet potatoes or canned tuna contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and canned tuna are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 40% more potassium than canned tuna - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.