Wheat Flour vs. Sweet Potatoes

Nutrition comparison of Wheat Flour and Sweet Potatoes

Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of wheat flour versus sweet potatoes (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in wheat flour and sweet potatoes:

  • Both sweet potatoes and wheat flour are high in dietary fiber.
  • Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than wheat flour, however, wheat flour contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
  • Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and potassium.
  • Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more Vitamin B6.
  • Wheat flour is a great source of protein.
  • Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of wheat flour 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.

Image of Wheat Flour src
Image of Sweet Potatoes src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Wheat flour is high in calories and sweet potato has 76% less calories than wheat flour - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and wheat flour has 361 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, wheat flour is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to sweet potatoes for fat. Wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Wheat Flour Sweet Potatoes
Protein 14% 7%
Carbohydrates 82% 92%
Fat 4% 1%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 72% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and wheat flour has 72.5g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both sweet potatoes and wheat flour are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 25% more dietary fiber than wheat flour - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Sweet potatoes and wheat flour contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 663% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and wheat flour has 12g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both sweet potatoes and wheat flour are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than wheat flour - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than wheat flour - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Sweet potatoes and wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Sweet potatoes and wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more Vitamin B6. Both wheat flour and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.

Wheat Flour Sweet Potatoes
Thiamin 0.812 MG 0.078 MG
Riboflavin 0.512 MG 0.061 MG
Niacin 7.554 MG 0.557 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.438 MG 0.8 MG
Vitamin B6 0.037 MG 0.209 MG
Folate 183 UG 11 UG

Minerals

calcium

Sweet potato has 100% more calcium than wheat flour - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and wheat flour has 15mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 623% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron.

potassium

Sweet potato is an excellent source of potassium and it has 237% more potassium than wheat flour - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and wheat flour has 100mg 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, sweet potato has more beta-carotene than wheat flour per 100 grams, however, wheat flour contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Wheat Flour Sweet Potatoes
beta-carotene 1 UG 8509 UG
lutein + zeaxanthin 79 UG ~
alpha-carotene ~ 7 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat flour has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Wheat Flour Sweet Potatoes
alpha linoleic acid 0.043 G 0.001 G
Total 0.043 G 0.001 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat flour has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.

Wheat Flour Sweet Potatoes
linoleic acid 0.685 G 0.013 G
Total 0.685 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: Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .

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FAQ

Does sweet potatoes or wheat flour contain more calories in 100 grams?
Wheat flour is high in calories and sweet potato has 80% less calories than wheat flour - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and wheat flour has 361 calories.

Does sweet potatoes or wheat flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 70% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and wheat flour has 72.5g of carbohydrates.

Does sweet potatoes or wheat flour contain more iron?
Wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 620% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron.

Does sweet potatoes or wheat flour contain more potassium?
Sweet potato is a rich source of potassium and it has 240% more potassium than wheat flour - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and wheat flour has 100mg of potassium.