Brown Sugar vs. White Sugar
Nutrition comparison of Brown Sugar and White Sugar
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
brown sugar
versus
white sugar
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in brown sugar and white sugar:
- Both brown sugar and white sugar are high in calories, carbohydrates and sugar.
- Brown sugar is an excellent source of calcium.
- White sugar has more riboflavin, however, brown sugar contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and White Sugar (Sugar, granulated) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both brown sugar and white sugar are high in calories. Brown sugar is very similar to brown sugar for calories - brown sugar has 380 calories per 100 grams and white sugar has 387 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, brown sugar is similar to white sugar for protein, carbs and fat. Brown sugar has a macronutrient ratio of 0:100:0 and for white sugar, 0:100:0 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Brown Sugar | White Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~ | ~ |
| Carbohydrates | 100% | 100% |
| Fat | ~ | ~ |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both brown sugar and white sugar are high in carbohydrates. Brown sugar is very similar to brown sugar for carbohydrates - brown sugar has 98.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and white sugar has 100g of carbohydrates.
sugar
Both brown sugar and white sugar are high in sugar. Brown sugar is very similar to brown sugar for sugar - brown sugar has 97g of sugar per 100 grams and white sugar has 99.8g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Brown sugar and white sugar contain similar amounts of protein - brown sugar has 0.12g of protein per 100 grams and white sugar does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
The B Vitamins
White sugar has more riboflavin, however, brown sugar contains more niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Brown Sugar | White Sugar | |
|---|---|---|
| Riboflavin | ~ | 0.019 MG |
| Niacin | 0.11 MG | ~ |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.132 MG | ~ |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 MG | ~ |
| Folate | 1 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Brown sugar is an excellent source of calcium and it has 82 times more calcium than white sugar - brown sugar has 83mg of calcium per 100 grams and white sugar has 1mg of calcium.
iron
Brown sugar has 13 times more iron than white sugar - brown sugar has 0.71mg of iron per 100 grams and white sugar has 0.05mg of iron.
potassium
Brown sugar has 65 times more potassium than white sugar - brown sugar has 133mg of potassium per 100 grams and white sugar has 2mg of potassium.
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 Brown Sugar or White Sugar .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Brown Sugar (Sugar, brown) and White Sugar (Sugar, granulated) .
Brown Sugar g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
White Sugar 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 brown sugar or white sugar contain more calories in 100 grams?Both brown sugar and white sugar are high in calories. Brown sugar is quite similar to brown sugar for calories - brown sugar has 380 calories in 100g and white sugar has 387 calories.
Does brown sugar or white sugar have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both brown sugar and white sugar are high in carbohydrates. brown sugar is very similar to brown sugar for carbohydrates - brown sugar has 98.1g of carbs for 100g and white sugar has 100g of carbohydrates.
Does brown sugar or white sugar contain more calcium?
Brown sugar is a rich source of calcium and it has 82 times more calcium than white sugar - brown sugar has 83mg of calcium in 100 grams and white sugar has 1mg of calcium.