Fennel vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Fennel and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
fennel
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in fennel and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and fennel are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Fennel has 64% less calories than sweet potato.
- Fennel has 64% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Fennel has signficantly more Vitamin C than sweet potato.
- Fennel is a great source of calcium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than fennel, however, fennel contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, fennel contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Fennel (Fennel, bulb, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Fennel has 64% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and fennel has 31 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, fennel is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Fennel has a macronutrient ratio of 14:81:6 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Fennel | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 81% | 92% |
| Fat | 6% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Fennel has 64% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and fennel has 7.3g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in fennel comprise of 56% sugar and 44% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and fennel 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 fennel has 3.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and fennel contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and fennel has 3.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and fennel contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and fennel has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and fennel are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and fennel has 0.09g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Fennel has signficantly more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and fennel has 12mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 13 times more Vitamin A than fennel - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and fennel has 48ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and fennel contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and fennel has 0.58mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Fennel has 33 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and fennel has 62.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6, however, fennel contains more folate. Both fennel and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin and niacin.
| Fennel | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.01 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.032 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.64 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.232 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.047 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 27 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Fennel is a great source of calcium and it has 63% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and fennel has 49mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and fennel contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and fennel has 0.73mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and fennel are high in potassium. Fennel has 23% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and fennel has 414mg 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,
| Fennel | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Quercetin | 0.23 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 mg |
| luteolin | ~ | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | ~ | 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 fennel per 100 grams, however, fennel contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Fennel | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 578 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 607 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, fennel has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Fennel | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.169 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.169 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: Fennel (Fennel, bulb, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Fennel g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
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 % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 fennel contain more calories in 100 grams?Fennel has 60% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and fennel has 31 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or fennel have more carbohydrates?
By weight, fennel has 60% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and fennel has 7.3g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in fennel comprise of 60% sugar and 40% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or fennel contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and fennel are high in potassium. Fennel has 20% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and fennel has 414mg of potassium.