Sweet Potatoes vs. Yellow Corn
Nutrition comparison of Sweet Potatoes and Cooked Yellow Corn
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
sweet potatoes
versus
cooked
yellow corn
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in sweet potatoes and yellow corn:
- Both sweet potatoes and yellow corn are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Sweet potato has more beta-carotene than yellow corn, however, yellow corn contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato.
- Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Yellow corn has more niacin.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) and Yellow Corn (Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories per 100 grams and yellow corn has 96 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, sweet potatoes is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to yellow corn per calorie. Sweet potatoes has a macronutrient ratio of 7:92:1 and for yellow corn, 12:76:12 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Sweet Potatoes | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 7% | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 92% | 76% |
| Fat | 1% | 12% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of total carbs per 100 grams and yellow corn has 21g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both sweet potatoes and yellow corn are high in dietary fiber. Sweet potato has 25% more dietary fiber than yellow corn - sweet potato has 3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and yellow corn has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of sugar - sweet potato has 4.2g of sugar per 100 grams and yellow corn has 4.5g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Yellow corn has 117% more protein than sweet potato - sweet potato has 1.6g of protein per 100 grams and yellow corn has 3.4g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both sweet potatoes and yellow corn are low in saturated fat - sweet potato has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.2g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Yellow corn has 129% more Vitamin C than sweet potato - sweet potato has 2.4mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and yellow corn has 5.5mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Sweet potato is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has 53 times more Vitamin A than yellow corn - sweet potato has 709ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and yellow corn has 13ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - sweet potato has 0.26mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.09mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - sweet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Yellow corn has more niacin. Both sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Sweet Potatoes | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.078 MG | 0.093 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.061 MG | 0.057 MG |
| Niacin | 0.557 MG | 1.683 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.8 MG | 0.792 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.209 MG | 0.139 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 23 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Sweet potato has 900% more calcium than yellow corn - sweet potato has 30mg of calcium per 100 grams and yellow corn has 3mg of calcium.
iron
Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of iron - sweet potato has 0.61mg of iron per 100 grams and yellow corn has 0.45mg of iron.
potassium
Both sweet potatoes and yellow corn are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 55% more potassium than yellow corn - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium per 100 grams and yellow corn has 218mg 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 yellow corn per 100 grams, however, yellow corn contains more alpha-carotene and lutein + zeaxanthin than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Sweet Potatoes | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 8509 UG | 66 UG |
| alpha-carotene | 7 UG | 23 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | ~ | 906 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, yellow corn has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Sweet Potatoes | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.001 G | 0.018 G |
| Total | 0.001 G | 0.018 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, yellow corn has more linoleic acid than sweet potato per 100 grams.
| Sweet Potatoes | Yellow Corn | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.013 G | 0.586 G |
| Total | 0.013 G | 0.586 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: Sweet Potatoes (Sweet potato, raw, unprepared) and Yellow Corn (Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt) .
Sweet Potatoes g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Yellow Corn g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
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5% | calories | 5% |
|
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% |
|
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 % | |
| MG % |
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5% | calcium | 5% |
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MG % | |
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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 % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
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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| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
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| UG % |
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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 % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
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| G % |
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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% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
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UG % | |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
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| UG % |
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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 % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does sweet potatoes or yellow corn contain more calories in 100 grams?Sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of calories - sweet potato has 86 calories in 100g and yellow corn has 96 calories.
Does sweet potatoes or yellow corn have more carbohydrates?
By weight, sweet potatoes and yellow corn contain similar amounts of carbs - sweet potato has 20.1g of carbs for 100g and yellow corn has 21g of carbohydrates.
Does sweet potatoes or yellow corn contain more potassium?
Both sweet potatoes and yellow corn are high in potassium. Sweet potato has 60% more potassium than yellow corn - sweet potato has 337mg of potassium in 100 grams and yellow corn has 218mg of potassium.