Whole Wheat Bread vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Whole Wheat Bread and Sweet Potatoes
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
whole wheat bread
versus
sweet potatoes
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes:
- Both whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than whole wheat bread, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid.
- Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron.
- Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Whole wheat bread is high in calories and sweet potato has 68% less calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories per 100 grams and sweet potato has 86 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat bread is heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Whole wheat bread has a macronutrient ratio of 20:66:14 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Bread | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 66% | 92% |
| Fat | 14% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 54% less carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of total carbs per 100 grams and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat bread has 147% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - whole wheat bread has 7.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of sugar - whole wheat bread has 6.4g of sugar per 100 grams and sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of protein and it has 751% more protein than sweet potato - whole wheat bread has 13.4g of protein per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes are low in saturated fat - whole wheat bread has 0.87g of saturated fat per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - whole wheat bread has 0.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than whole wheat bread - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat bread does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat bread has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat bread has 1.4ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat bread has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, sweet potato contains more pantothenic acid. Both whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of riboflavin and Vitamin B6.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.279 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.131 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 4.042 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.336 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.263 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 75 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 243% more calcium than sweet potato - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat bread is a great source of iron and it has 310% more iron than sweet potato - whole wheat bread has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron.
potassium
Both whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 47% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium per 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg 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 whole wheat bread per 100 grams, however, whole wheat bread contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 94 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.205 G | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.205 G | 0.001 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, whole wheat bread has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Bread | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 1.667 G | 0.013 G |
| Total | 1.669 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 Whole Wheat Bread or Sweet Potatoes .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread, multi-grain (includes whole-grain)) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Whole Wheat Bread 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% |
|
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% |
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MG % | |
| IU % |
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5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
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IU % | |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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5% | iron | 5% |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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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 % |
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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% |
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| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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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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5% | protein | 5% |
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G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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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% |
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UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
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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 whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes contain more calories in 100 grams?Whole wheat bread is high in calories and sweet potato has 70% less calories than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 265 calories in 100g and sweet potato has 86 calories.
Does whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat bread is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 50% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 43.3g of carbs for 100g and sweet potato has 20.1g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes contain more calcium?
Whole wheat bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 240% more calcium than sweet potato - whole wheat bread has 103mg of calcium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 30mg of calcium.
Does whole wheat bread or sweet potatoes contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat bread and sweet potatoes are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 50% more potassium than whole wheat bread - whole wheat bread has 230mg of potassium in 100 grams and sweet potato has 337mg of potassium.