Lima Beans vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Lima Beans and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
lima beans
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lima beans and sweet potatoes:
- Both lima beans and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Lima bean has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid.
- Lima bean is an excellent source of Vitamin C and iron.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lima Beans (Lima beans, immature seeds, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lima bean is high in calories and sweet potato has 24% less calories than lima bean - lima bean has 113 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lima beans is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Lima beans has a macronutrient ratio of 24:70:7 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lima Beans | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 24% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 70% | 92% |
| Fat | 7% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Lima beans and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of carbs - lima bean has 20.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both lima beans and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber. Lima bean has 63% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - lima bean has 4.9g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Lima beans and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - lima bean has 1.5g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lima bean has 336% more protein than sweet potato - lima bean has 6.8g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both lima beans and sweet potatoes are low in saturated fat - lima bean has 0.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Lima bean is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 875% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - lima bean has 23.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 69 times more Vitamin A than lima bean - lima bean has 10ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Lima beans and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - lima bean has 0.32mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Lima beans and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - lima bean has 5.6ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lima bean has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid. Both lima beans and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Lima Beans | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.217 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.103 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 1.474 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.247 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.204 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 34 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Lima beans and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of calcium - lima bean has 34mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
iron
Lima bean is an excellent source of iron and it has 415% more iron than sweet potato - lima bean has 3.1mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
potassium
Both lima beans and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Lima bean has 39% more potassium than sweet potato - lima bean has 467mg of potassium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Lima Beans | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 126 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lima bean has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Lima Beans | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.136 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.136 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lima bean has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Lima Beans | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.283 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.283 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: Lima Beans (Lima beans, immature seeds, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Lima Beans 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 % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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% |
|
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 % |
|
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 lima beans or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?Lima bean is high in calories and sweet potato has 20% less calories than lima bean - lima bean has 113 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.
Does lima beans or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, lima beans and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of carbs - lima bean has 20.2g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does lima beans or sweet potatoes contain more iron?
Lima bean is an abundant source of iron and it has 420% more iron than sweet potato - lima bean has 3.1mg of iron in 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
Does lima beans or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Both lima beans and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Lima bean has 40% more potassium than sweet potato - lima bean has 467mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.