Whole Wheat Flour vs. Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition comparison of Whole 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
whole 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 whole wheat flour and sweet potatoes:
- Both sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than whole wheat flour, however, whole wheat flour contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Whole wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Whole wheat flour is a great source of protein.
- Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Whole wheat flour is high in calories and sweet potato has 74% less calories than whole wheat flour - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 332 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, whole wheat flour is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to sweet potatoes per calorie. Whole wheat flour has a macronutrient ratio of 11:84:5 and for sweet potatoes, 7:92:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Whole Wheat Flour | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 11% | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 84% | 92% |
| Fat | 5% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Whole wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 73% less carbohydrates than whole wheat flour - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat flour has 337% more dietary fiber than sweet potato - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Whole wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 512% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Sweet potato has more Vitamin C than whole wheat flour - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whole 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 whole wheat flour - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and whole wheat flour does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Whole wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both whole wheat flour and sweet potatoes contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Whole Wheat Flour | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.297 MG | 0.078 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.188 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Niacin | 5.347 MG | 0.557 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 1.011 MG | 0.8 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.191 MG | 0.209 MG |
| Folate | 28 UG | 11 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour contain similar amounts of calcium - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 508% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour has 17% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 394mg 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 flour per 100 grams, however, whole wheat flour contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Whole Wheat Flour | Sweet Potatoes | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 5 UG | 8509 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 220 UG | ~ |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 7 UG |
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: Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) and Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) .
Whole Wheat Flour 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 whole wheat flour contain more calories in 100 grams?Whole wheat flour is high in calories and sweet potato has 70% less calories than whole wheat flour - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and whole wheat flour has 332 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or whole wheat flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and sweet potato has 70% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat flour - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or whole wheat flour contain more iron?
Whole wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 510% more iron than sweet potato - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron.
Does sweet potatoes or whole wheat flour contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and whole wheat flour are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour has 20% more potassium than sweet potato - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium.