Cantaloupe vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Cantaloupe and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cantaloupe
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cantaloupe and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are high in Vitamin A and potassium.
- Cantaloupe has 59% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Cantaloupe has 60% less calories than sweet potato.
- Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than cantaloupe, however, cantaloupe contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cantaloupe has 60% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cantaloupe is lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for protein and fat. Cantaloupe has a macronutrient ratio of 9:87:4 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cantaloupe | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 92% |
| Fat | 4% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cantaloupe has 59% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 8.2g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cantaloupe comprise of 89% sugar and 10% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 233% more dietary fiber than cantaloupe - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 7.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.84g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cantaloupe is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 14 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 36.7mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 320% more Vitamin A than cantaloupe - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 169ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.05mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and cantaloupe contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both cantaloupe and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and folate.
| Cantaloupe | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.041 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.019 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.105 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.072 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 21 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 233% more calcium than cantaloupe - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 9mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potato has 190% more iron than cantaloupe - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 26% more potassium than cantaloupe - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and cantaloupe has 267mg 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 cantaloupe and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of kaempferol and quercetin.
| Cantaloupe | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.64 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.07 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 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 cantaloupe per 100 grams, however, cantaloupe contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both cantaloupe and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Cantaloupe | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2020 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 16 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 26 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cantaloupe has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Cantaloupe | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.046 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both cantaloupe and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Cantaloupe | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.035 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.035 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: Cantaloupe (Melons, cantaloupe, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Cantaloupe g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
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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 % |
|
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 % |
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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 sweet potatoes or cantaloupe contain more calories in 100 grams?Cantaloupe has 60% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and cantaloupe has 34 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or cantaloupe have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cantaloupe has 60% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and cantaloupe has 8.2g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in cantaloupe comprise of 90% sugar and 10% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or cantaloupe contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and cantaloupe are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 30% more potassium than cantaloupe - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and cantaloupe has 267mg of potassium.