Onion vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Onion and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
onion
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in onion and sweet potatoes:
- Onion has 53% less calories than sweet potato.
- Onion has 54% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- 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: Onion (Onions, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Onion has 53% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and onion has 40 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, onion is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Onion has a macronutrient ratio of 11:87:3 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Onion | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 92% |
| Fat | 3% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Onion has 54% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 76% more dietary fiber than onion - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and onion has 1.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and onion contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and onion has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and onion contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and onion has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and onion are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and onion has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Onion has 208% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and onion has 7.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than onion - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and onion does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and onion has 0.02mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and onion contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and onion has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Both onion and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Onion | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.046 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.116 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.123 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.12 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 19 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potatoes and onion contain similar amounts of calcium - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and onion has 23mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potato has 190% more iron than onion - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and onion has 0.21mg of iron.
potassium
Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 131% more potassium than onion - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and onion has 146mg 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 onion and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of apigenin, luteolin and myricetin.
| Onion | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg |
| isorhamnetin | 5.01 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.65 mg | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 20.3 mg | 0.01 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,
| Onion | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both onion and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Onion | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.004 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.004 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both onion and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Onion | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.013 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: Onion (Onions, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Onion 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 onion contain more calories in 100 grams?Onion has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and onion has 40 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or onion have more carbohydrates?
By weight, onion has 50% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and onion has 9.3g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or onion contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 130% more potassium than onion - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and onion has 146mg of potassium.