Spinach vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Spinach and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
spinach
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in spinach and sweet potatoes:
- Both spinach and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Spinach has 73% less calories than sweet potato.
- Spinach has more riboflavin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid.
- Spinach is a great source of iron.
- Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Spinach (Spinach, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spinach has 73% less calories than sweet potato - spinach has 23 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, spinach is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Spinach has a macronutrient ratio of 39:49:12 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Spinach | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 49% | 92% |
| Fat | 12% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Spinach has 4.5 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato - spinach has 3.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both spinach and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 36% more dietary fiber than spinach - spinach has 2.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spinach and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - spinach has 0.42g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spinach and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both spinach and sweet potatoes are low in saturated fat - spinach has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 10 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - spinach has 28.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both spinach and sweet potatoes are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 51% more Vitamin A than spinach - spinach has 469ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spinach has 681% more Vitamin E than sweet potato - spinach has 2mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spinach is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 267 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - spinach has 482.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spinach has more riboflavin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid. Both spinach and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Spinach | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.189 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.724 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.065 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.195 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 194 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spinach is an excellent source of calcium and it has 230% more calcium than sweet potato - spinach has 99mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
iron
Spinach is a great source of iron and it has 344% more iron than sweet potato - spinach has 2.7mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
potassium
Both spinach and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Spinach has 66% more potassium than sweet potato - spinach has 558mg of potassium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg 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,
| Spinach | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.74 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 6.38 mg | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | 0.35 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 3.97 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 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, both spinach and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of beta-carotene.
| Spinach | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5626 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 12198 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spinach has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Spinach | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.138 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.138 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both spinach and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Spinach | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.026 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.026 G | 0.013 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Spinach or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Spinach (Spinach, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Spinach g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
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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 | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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5% | saturated fat | 5% |
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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% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
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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 spinach or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?Spinach has 70% less calories than sweet potato - spinach has 23 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.
Is spinach or sweet potatoes better for protein?
Spinach and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of protein - spinach has 2.9g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Does spinach or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, spinach has 4.5 times fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - spinach has 3.6g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does spinach or sweet potatoes contain more calcium?
Spinach is a rich source of calcium and it has 230% more calcium than sweet potato - spinach has 99mg of calcium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
Does spinach or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Both spinach and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Spinach has 70% more potassium than sweet potato - spinach has 558mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.