Cashews vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Cashews and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cashews
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cashews and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and cashews are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Cashew has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than cashew.
- Cashew has more thiamin.
- Cashew is an excellent source of iron and protein.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Cashew is high in calories and sweet potato has 84% less calories than cashew - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and cashew has 553 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cashews is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Cashews has a macronutrient ratio of 12:21:67 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cashews | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 12% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 21% | 92% |
| Fat | 67% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cashew is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 33% less carbohydrates than cashew - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and cashew has 30.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and cashews are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for dietary fiber - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cashew has 3.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and cashews contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and cashew has 5.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Cashew is an excellent source of protein and it has 10 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and cashew has 18.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cashew is high in saturated fat and sweet potato has 100% less saturated fat than cashew - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cashew has 7.8g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potatoes and cashews contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and cashew has 0.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than cashew - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cashew does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and cashews contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cashew has 0.9mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cashew has 17 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cashew has 34.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Cashew has more thiamin. Both cashews and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Cashews | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.423 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 1.062 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.864 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.417 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 25 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potatoes and cashews contain similar amounts of calcium - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and cashew has 37mg of calcium.
iron
Cashew is an excellent source of iron and it has 995% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and cashew has 6.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and cashews are high in potassium. Cashew has 96% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and cashew has 660mg 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, cashew has more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams, however, sweet potato contains more beta-carotene than cashew per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cashew has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.062 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cashew has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.266 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 7.782 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 8.048 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 Cashews or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Cashews 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 % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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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% |
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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% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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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% |
|
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% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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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% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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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 cashews contain more calories in 100 grams?Cashew is high in calories and sweet potato has 80% less calories than cashew - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and cashew has 553 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or cashews have more carbohydrates?
By weight, cashew is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 30% fewer carbohydrates than cashew - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and cashew has 30.2g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or cashews contain more iron?
Cashew is an abundant source of iron and it has 1000% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and cashew has 6.7mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or cashews contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and cashews are high in potassium. Cashew has 100% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and cashew has 660mg of potassium.