Spirulina vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Spirulina and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
spirulina
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in spirulina and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and spirulina are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, iron and protein.
- Sweet potato has 146.2 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and sweet potato has 70% less calories than spirulina - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, spirulina is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Spirulina has a macronutrient ratio of 58:24:18 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Spirulina | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 58% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 24% | 92% |
| Fat | 18% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Spirulina has 20% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 35 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Sweet potato has 146.2 times less saturated fat than spirulina - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has 321% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 23 times more Vitamin A than spirulina - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 18 times more Vitamin E than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 13 times more Vitamin K than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both spirulina and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Spirulina | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 2.38 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 3.67 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 12.82 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 3.48 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.364 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 94 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 300% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 45 times more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 304% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
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,
| Spirulina | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 342 UG | 8509 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Spirulina | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.823 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.823 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Spirulina | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.254 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 1.254 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: Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Spirulina 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% |
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G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
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5% | total fat | 5% |
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G % | |
| G % |
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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% |
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MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| 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% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and sweet potato has 70% less calories than spirulina - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is sweet potatoes or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 35 times more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does sweet potatoes or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 300% more calcium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does sweet potatoes or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 45 times more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 300% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.