Bittersweet Chocolate vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Bittersweet Chocolate and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
bittersweet chocolate
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes:
- Both bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate.
- Bittersweet chocolate has more niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Bittersweet chocolate is high in calories and sweet potato has 87% less calories than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, bittersweet chocolate is much lighter in carbs, much heavier in fat and similar to sweet potatoes for protein. Bittersweet chocolate has a macronutrient ratio of 9:18:73 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 9% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 18% | 92% |
| Fat | 73% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potato has 29% less carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber. Bittersweet chocolate has 453% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of protein and it has 812% more protein than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Bittersweet chocolate is high in saturated fat and sweet potato has 100% less saturated fat than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Both bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and sweet potato does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than bittersweet chocolate - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than bittersweet chocolate - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and bittersweet chocolate does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Bittersweet chocolate has more niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin and riboflavin.
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.147 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.1 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 1.355 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.168 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.027 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 28 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium and it has 237% more calcium than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
iron
Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of iron and it has 27 times more iron than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
potassium
Both bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 146% more potassium than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg 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, bittersweet chocolate has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 38 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, bittersweet chocolate has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.117 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.117 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bittersweet chocolate has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Bittersweet Chocolate | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.553 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.435 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 1.988 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: Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Bittersweet Chocolate 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 % | |
| 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% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 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 % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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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% |
|
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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UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
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% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 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 bittersweet chocolate or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?Bittersweet chocolate is high in calories and sweet potato has 90% less calories than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.
Does bittersweet chocolate or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potato has 30% fewer carbohydrates than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does bittersweet chocolate or sweet potatoes contain more calcium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
Does bittersweet chocolate or sweet potatoes contain more iron?
Bittersweet chocolate is an abundant source of iron and it has 27 times more iron than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
Does bittersweet chocolate or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 150% more potassium than sweet potato - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.