Collard Greens vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Collard Greens and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
collard greens
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in collard greens and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and collard greens are high in Vitamin A, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Collard green has 63% less calories than sweet potato.
- Collard green has 73% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K and calcium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than collard green, however, collard green contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, collard green contains more folate.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Collard Greens (Collards, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Collard green has 63% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and collard green has 32 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, collard greens is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Collard greens has a macronutrient ratio of 31:55:14 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Collard Greens | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 31% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 55% | 92% |
| Fat | 14% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Collard green has 73% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and collard green has 5.4g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in collard greens comprise of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and collard greens are high in dietary fiber. Collard green has 33% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and collard green has 4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and collard greens contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and collard green has 0.46g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and collard greens contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and collard green has 3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and collard greens are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and collard green has 0.06g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 13 times more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and collard green has 35.3mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Both sweet potatoes and collard greens are high in Vitamin A. Sweet potato has 182% more Vitamin A than collard green - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and collard green has 251ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Collard green has 769% more Vitamin E than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and collard green has 2.3mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Collard green is an excellent source of Vitamin K and it has 241 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and collard green has 437.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, collard green contains more folate. Both collard greens and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Collard Greens | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.054 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.13 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.742 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.267 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.165 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 129 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Collard green is an excellent source of calcium and it has 673% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and collard green has 232mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and collard greens contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and collard green has 0.47mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and collard greens are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 58% more potassium than collard green - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and collard green has 213mg 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 collard greens and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of luteolin.
| Collard Greens | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.08 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 8.74 mg | 0.01 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.57 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | ~ | 0.03 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than collard green per 100 grams, however, collard green contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams. Both collard greens and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of alpha-carotene.
| Collard Greens | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2991 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 14 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 4323 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, collard green has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Collard Greens | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.108 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.108 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, collard green has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Collard Greens | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.082 G | 0.013 G |
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.084 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 Collard Greens or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Collard Greens (Collards, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Collard Greens g
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Sweet Potatoes g
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| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or collard greens contain more calories in 100 grams?Collard green has 60% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and collard green has 32 calories.
Is sweet potatoes or collard greens better for protein?
Sweet potatoes and collard greens contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and collard green has 3g of protein.
Does sweet potatoes or collard greens have more carbohydrates?
By weight, collard green has 70% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and collard green has 5.4g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in collard greens comprise of 90% dietary fiber and 10% sugar.
Does sweet potatoes or collard greens contain more calcium?
Collard green is a rich source of calcium and it has 670% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium in 100 grams and collard green has 232mg of calcium.
Does sweet potatoes or collard greens contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and collard greens are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 60% more potassium than collard green - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and collard green has 213mg of potassium.