Sweet Potatoes vs. Zucchini
Nutrition comparison of Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
sweet potatoes
versus
zucchini
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in sweet potatoes and zucchini:
- Both sweet potatoes and zucchini are high in potassium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than zucchini, however, zucchini contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid.
- Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Zucchini has 4 times less calories than sweet potato.
- Zucchini has 5.4 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato.
- Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Zucchini has 4 times less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and zucchini has 17 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, sweet potatoes is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to zucchini per calorie. Sweet potatoes has a macronutrient ratio of 7:92:1 and for zucchini, 24:62:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 92% | 62% |
| Fat | 1% | 14% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Zucchini has 5.4 times less carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates.
The carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 64% starch, 21% sugar and 15% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 71% sugar and 29% dietary fiber.
dietary fiber
Sweet potato is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 200% more dietary fiber than zucchini - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and zucchini has 1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and zucchini contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and zucchini has 2.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Sweet potatoes and zucchini contain similar amounts of protein - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and zucchini has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and zucchini are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.08g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Zucchini is a great source of Vitamin C and it has 646% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and zucchini has 17.9mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 69 times more Vitamin A than zucchini - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and zucchini has 10ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.12mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and zucchini contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and zucchini has 4.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Sweet potato has more pantothenic acid. Both sweet potatoes and zucchini contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.045 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.061 MG | 0.094 MG |
| Niacin | 0.557 MG | 0.451 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.8 MG | 0.204 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.209 MG | 0.163 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 24 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 88% more calcium than zucchini - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and zucchini has 16mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and zucchini contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and zucchini has 0.37mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and zucchini are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 29% more potassium than zucchini - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and zucchini has 261mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
flavonoids
Naturally occuring in fruits and vegetables, flavonoids are associated with many health benefits and used in a variety of medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. [2][3]
For specific flavonoid compounds,
| Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| apigenin | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| luteolin | 0.02 mg | ~ |
| kaempferol | 0.01 mg | ~ |
| myricetin | 0.03 mg | ~ |
| Quercetin | 0.01 mg | 0.66 mg |
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 zucchini per 100 grams, however, zucchini contains more lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 8509 UG | 120 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 7 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 2125 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, zucchini has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.001 G | 0.061 G |
| Total | 0.001 G | 0.061 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both sweet potatoes and zucchini contain small amounts of linoleic acid.
| Sweet Potatoes | Zucchini | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.03 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.001 G |
| Total | 0.013 G | 0.031 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 Sweet Potatoes or Zucchini .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) and Zucchini (Squash, summer, zucchini, includes skin, raw) .
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Zucchini 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% |
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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% |
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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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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% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
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MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
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MG % | |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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5% | protein | 5% |
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| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
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5% | choline | 5% |
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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 % | |
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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% |
|
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 zucchini contain more calories in 100 grams?Zucchini has 4 times less calories than sweet potato - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and zucchini has 17 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or zucchini have more carbohydrates?
By weight, zucchini has 5.4 times fewer carbohydrates than sweet potato - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and zucchini has 3.1g of carbohydrates. the carbs in sweet potatoes are made of 60% starch, 20% sugar and 20% dietary fiber, whereas the carbs in zucchini comprise of 70% sugar and 30% dietary fiber.
Does sweet potatoes or zucchini contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and zucchini are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 30% more potassium than zucchini - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and zucchini has 261mg of potassium.