Coconut vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Coconut and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
coconut
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in coconut and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and coconut are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Coconut is a great source of iron.
- Sweet potato has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, coconut contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Coconut (Nuts, coconut meat, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Coconut is high in calories and sweet potato has 76% less calories than coconut - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and coconut has 354 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, coconut is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to sweet potatoes for protein. Coconut has a macronutrient ratio of 4:16:80 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Coconut | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 4% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 16% | 92% |
| Fat | 80% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes and coconut contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and coconut has 15.2g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in coconut comprise of 59% dietary fiber and 41% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and coconut are high in dietary fiber. Coconut has 200% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and coconut has 9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and coconut contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and coconut has 6.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Coconut has 112% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and coconut has 3.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Coconut is high in saturated fat and sweet potato has 100% less saturated fat than coconut - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and coconut has 29.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potatoes and coconut contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and coconut has 3.3mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than coconut - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and coconut does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and coconut contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and coconut has 0.24mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and coconut contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and coconut has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, coconut contains more folate. Both coconut and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin and niacin.
| Coconut | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.066 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.02 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.54 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.3 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.054 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 26 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 114% more calcium than coconut - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and coconut has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Coconut is a great source of iron and it has 298% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and coconut has 2.4mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and coconut are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and coconut has 356mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, coconut has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Coconut | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.366 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.366 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: Coconut (Nuts, coconut meat, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Coconut g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
|
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% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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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% |
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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% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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| MG % |
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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 coconut contain more calories in 100 grams?Coconut is high in calories and sweet potato has 80% less calories than coconut - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and coconut has 354 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or coconut have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and coconut contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and coconut has 15.2g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in coconut comprise of 60% dietary fiber and 40% sugar.
Does sweet potatoes or coconut contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and coconut are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and coconut has 356mg of potassium.