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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of fennel and sweet potatoes is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

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.


Image of Fennel src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

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 13:82:5 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Fennel Sweet Potatoes
Protein 13% 7%
Carbohydrates 82% 92%
Fat 5% 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 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 Fennel or Sweet Potatoes .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Fennel (Fennel, bulb, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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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.