Parsnip vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Parsnip and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
parsnip
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in parsnip and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and parsnip are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Parsnip is a great source of Vitamin C.
- Sweet potato has more Vitamin B6, however, parsnip contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Parsnip (Parsnips, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and parsnip has 75 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, parsnip is similar to sweet potatoes for protein, carbs and fat. Parsnip has a macronutrient ratio of 6:91:3 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Parsnip | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 6% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 92% |
| Fat | 3% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and parsnip has 18g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and parsnip are high in dietary fiber. Parsnip has 63% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and parsnip has 4.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and parsnip has 4.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and parsnip has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and parsnip are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parsnip has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Parsnip is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 608% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and parsnip has 17mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than parsnip - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and parsnip does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parsnip has 1.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Parsnip has 11 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parsnip has 22.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more Vitamin B6, however, parsnip contains more folate. Both parsnip and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Parsnip | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.09 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.05 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.7 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.6 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.09 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 67 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of calcium - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and parsnip has 36mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and parsnip has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and parsnip are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and parsnip has 375mg 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,
| Parsnip | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 0.99 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 mg |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both parsnip and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Parsnip | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.003 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.003 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both parsnip and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Parsnip | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.041 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.041 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: Parsnip (Parsnips, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Parsnip 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 parsnip contain more calories in 100 grams?Sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and parsnip has 75 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or parsnip have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and parsnip contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and parsnip has 18g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or parsnip contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and parsnip are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and parsnip has 375mg of potassium.