Beets vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Beets and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
beets
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beets and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Beet has 52% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, beet contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beets (Beets, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Beet has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and beet has 43 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beets is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Beets has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beets | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 92% |
| Fat | 4% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Beet has 52% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has a little more dietary fiber (7%) than beet by weight - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beet has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and beet has 6.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and beet has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and beets are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and beet has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Beet has 104% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and beet has 4.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 353 times more Vitamin A than beet - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and beet has 2ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and beet has 0.04mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and beet has 0.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, beet contains more folate. Both beets and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin and niacin.
| Beets | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.031 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.334 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.155 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.067 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 109 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 88% more calcium than beet - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and beet has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and beets contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and beet has 0.8mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in potassium. Sweet potato has a little more potassium (4%) than beet by weight - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and beet has 325mg 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 beets and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of quercetin.
| Beets | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.37 mg | 0.02 mg |
| Quercetin | 0.13 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 mg |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both beets and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Beets | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.005 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.005 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, beet has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Beets | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.055 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.055 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 Beets or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Beets (Beets, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Beets g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
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5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
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 % |
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5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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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 % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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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 sweet potatoes or beets contain more calories in 100 grams?Beet has 50% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and beet has 43 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or beets have more carbohydrates?
By weight, beet has 50% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and beet has 9.6g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in beets comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or beets contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and beets are high in potassium. Sweet potato has a little more potassium ( 0%) than beet by weight - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and beet has 325mg of potassium.