Orange vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Orange and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
orange
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in orange and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and orange are high in dietary fiber.
- Orange is a great source of calcium.
- Orange is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Sweet potato has 54% less sugar than orange.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than orange, however, orange contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Orange (Oranges, raw, Florida) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Orange has 47% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and orange has 46 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, orange is similar to sweet potatoes for protein, carbs and fat. Orange has a macronutrient ratio of 6:91:4 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Orange | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 6% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 92% |
| Fat | 4% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Orange has 43% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in orange comprise of 79% sugar and 21% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and orange are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 25% more dietary fiber than orange - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and orange has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potato has 54% less sugar than orange - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and orange has 9.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and orange contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and orange has 0.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and orange are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and orange has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Orange is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 17 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and orange has 45mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 63 times more Vitamin A than orange - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and orange has 11ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and orange has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and orange contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and orange does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both orange and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Orange | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.1 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.4 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.25 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.051 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 17 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Orange is a great source of calcium and it has 43% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and orange has 43mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potato has 578% more iron than orange - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and orange has 0.09mg of iron.
potassium
Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 99% more potassium than orange - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and orange has 169mg 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than orange per 100 grams, however, orange contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both orange and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Orange | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 71 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 11 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 129 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, orange has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Orange | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.011 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.011 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both orange and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Orange | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.031 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.031 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: Orange (Oranges, raw, Florida) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Orange g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
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% |
|
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 % |
|
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% |
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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% |
|
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% |
|
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 orange contain more calories in 100 grams?Orange has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and orange has 46 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or orange have more carbohydrates?
By weight, orange has 40% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and orange has 11.5g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in orange comprise of 80% sugar and 20% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or orange contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 100% more potassium than orange - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and orange has 169mg of potassium.