Carrot vs Sweet Potato – Which is Healthier?

Our Verdict

When comparing carrot to sweet potato, we picked the sweet potato.

Why?

Both are great! But there’s a winner in the end:

Looking at the macros first, sweet potato has more protein carbs, and fiber, and is thus the “more food per food” item. If they are both cooked the same, then the glycemic index is comparable, despite the carrot’s carbs having more sucrose and the sweet potato’s carbs having more starch. We’ll call this category a tie.

In terms of vitamins, carrots have more of vitamins B9 and K, while sweet potatoes have more of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6. B7, C, and E. Both are equally high in vitamin A. Thus, the vitamins category is an overwhelming win for sweet potato.

When it comes to minerals, carrots are not higher in any minerals (unless we count that they are slightly higher in sodium, but that is not generally considered a plus for most people in most places most of the time), while sweet potato is higher in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc. Another easy win for sweet potato.

Adding up the sections makes for a clear win for the sweet potato as the more nutritionally dense option, but as ever, enjoy either or both, as diversity is best!

Want to learn more?

You might like to read:

What’s Your Plant Diversity Score?

Take care!