Green Bean vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Green Bean and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
green bean
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in green bean and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and green bean are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Green bean has 64% less calories than sweet potato.
- Green bean has 65% less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Green bean is a great source of Vitamin C.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than green bean, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, green bean contains more folate.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Green bean has 64% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and green bean has 31 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, green bean is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Green bean has a macronutrient ratio of 20:76:5 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Green Bean | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 92% |
| Fat | 5% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Green bean has 65% less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and green bean has 7g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in green bean comprise of 48% sugar, 39% dietary fiber and 13% starch.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and green bean are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 11% more dietary fiber than green bean - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and green bean has 2.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and green bean contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and green bean has 3.3g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and green bean contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and green bean has 1.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and green bean are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and green bean has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Green bean is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 408% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and green bean has 12.2mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 19 times more Vitamin A than green bean - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and green bean has 35ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and green bean contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and green bean has 0.41mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Green bean has 22 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and green bean has 43ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid, however, green bean contains more folate. Both green bean and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Green Bean | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.082 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.104 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 0.734 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.225 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.141 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 33 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potatoes and green bean contain similar amounts of calcium - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and green bean has 37mg of calcium.
iron
Green bean has 69% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and green bean has 1mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and green bean are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 60% more potassium than green bean - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and green bean has 211mg 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 green bean and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of luteolin and myricetin.
| Green Bean | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| luteolin | 0.13 mg | 0.02 mg |
| kaempferol | 0.45 mg | 0.01 mg |
| myricetin | 0.13 mg | 0.03 mg |
| Quercetin | 2.73 mg | 0.01 mg |
| apigenin | ~ | 0.01 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 green bean per 100 grams, however, green bean contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 379 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 69 UG | 7 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 640 UG | ~ |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, green bean has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Green Bean | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.069 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.069 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both green bean and sweet potatoes contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Green Bean | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.044 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.044 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: Green Bean (Beans, snap, green, raw) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Green Bean 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% |
|
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 % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
| 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% |
|
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% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| 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% |
|
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% |
|
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 % |
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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 green bean contain more calories in 100 grams?Green bean has 60% less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and green bean has 31 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or green bean have more carbohydrates?
By weight, green bean has 70% fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and green bean has 7g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in green bean comprise of 50% sugar, 40% dietary fiber and 10% starch.
Does sweet potatoes or green bean contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and green bean are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 60% more potassium than green bean - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and green bean has 211mg of potassium.