Lentils vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Lentils and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
lentils
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in lentils and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Lentil has more thiamin and folate.
- Lentil is a great source of protein.
- Lentil is an excellent source of iron.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Lentil is high in calories and sweet potato has 26% less calories than lentil - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and lentil has 116 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, lentils is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Lentils has a macronutrient ratio of 30:67:3 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Lentils | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 30% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 67% | 92% |
| Fat | 3% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in dietary fiber. Lentil has 163% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and lentil has 7.9g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and lentil has 1.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Lentil is a great source of protein and it has 475% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and lentil has 9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and lentils are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and lentil has 0.05g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and lentil has 1.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than lentil - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and lentil does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and lentil has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and lentil has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Lentil has more thiamin and folate. Both lentils and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Lentils | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.169 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.073 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 1.06 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.638 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.178 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 181 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 58% more calcium than lentil - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and lentil has 19mg of calcium.
iron
Lentil is an excellent source of iron and it has 446% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, lentil has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.037 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.037 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, lentil has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Lentils | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.137 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 0.137 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 Lentils or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Lentils (Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Cooked Lentils g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
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 % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
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 lentils contain more calories in 100 grams?Lentil is high in calories and sweet potato has 30% less calories than lentil - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and lentil has 116 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or lentils have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and lentils contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and lentil has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or lentils contain more iron?
Lentil is an abundant source of iron and it has 450% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and lentil has 3.3mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or lentils contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and lentils are high in potassium. Sweet potato is very similar to sweet potato for potassium - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and lentil has 369mg of potassium.