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  6. Couscous vs. Brown rice

Couscous vs. Brown rice — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the main differences between Couscous and Brown rice?

  • Couscous is richer in Selenium, while Brown rice is higher in Manganese, Phosphorus, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, Magnesium, Copper, and Vitamin B6.
  • Couscous's daily need coverage for Selenium is 39% higher.

We used Couscous, cooked and Rice, brown, long-grain, cooked types in this comparison.

Infographic

Couscous vs Brown rice infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Couscous
Couscous
2
:
8
Brown rice
Brown rice
Contains more Calcium +166.7%
Contains more Selenium +374.1%
Contains more Iron +47.4%
Contains more Magnesium +387.5%
Contains more Phosphorus +368.2%
Contains more Potassium +48.3%
Contains less Sodium -20%
Contains more Zinc +173.1%
Contains more Copper +158.5%
Contains more Manganese +1059.5%
Couscous
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 15% 6% 10% 6% 1% 8% 14% 11% 150%
Brown rice
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 1% 22% 28% 45% 8% 1% 20% 36% 128% 32%
Contains more Calcium +166.7%
Contains more Selenium +374.1%
Contains more Iron +47.4%
Contains more Magnesium +387.5%
Contains more Phosphorus +368.2%
Contains more Potassium +48.3%
Contains less Sodium -20%
Contains more Zinc +173.1%
Contains more Copper +158.5%
Contains more Manganese +1059.5%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
7
Brown rice
Brown rice
Contains more Folate +66.7%
Contains more Vitamin E +30.8%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +182.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +155.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +160.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +141.2%
Contains more Vitamin K +100%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.38
Couscous
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 3% 0% 0% 16% 7% 19% 23% 12% 12% 0% 1%
Brown rice
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 4% 0% 0% 45% 16% 49% 23% 29% 7% 0% 1%
Contains more Folate +66.7%
Contains more Vitamin E +30.8%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +182.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +155.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +160.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +141.2%
Contains more Vitamin K +100%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.38

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
2
:
3
Brown rice
Brown rice
Contains more Protein +38.3%
Contains more Fats +506.3%
Contains more Carbs +10.2%
Contains more Other +69.2%
Equal in Water - 70.27
Couscous
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Brown rice
3% 26% 70%
Protein: 2.74 g
Fats: 0.97 g
Carbs: 25.58 g
Water: 70.27 g
Other: 0.44 g
Contains more Protein +38.3%
Contains more Fats +506.3%
Contains more Carbs +10.2%
Contains more Other +69.2%
Equal in Water - 70.27

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
2
Brown rice
Brown rice
Contains less Saturated Fat -88.8%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +1577.3%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +471.9%
Couscous
25% 19% 56%
Saturated Fat: 0.029 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.064 g
Brown rice
26% 37% 37%
Saturated Fat: 0.26 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.369 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.366 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -88.8%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +1577.3%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +471.9%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Couscous Brown rice
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Saturated Fat ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Couscous Brown rice Opinion
Net carbs 21.82g 23.98g Brown rice
Protein 3.79g 2.74g Couscous
Fats 0.16g 0.97g Brown rice
Carbs 23.22g 25.58g Brown rice
Calories 112kcal 123kcal Brown rice
Starch 24.79g Brown rice
Sugar 0.1g 0.24g Couscous
Fiber 1.4g 1.6g Brown rice
Calcium 8mg 3mg Couscous
Iron 0.38mg 0.56mg Brown rice
Magnesium 8mg 39mg Brown rice
Phosphorus 22mg 103mg Brown rice
Potassium 58mg 86mg Brown rice
Sodium 5mg 4mg Brown rice
Zinc 0.26mg 0.71mg Brown rice
Copper 0.041mg 0.106mg Brown rice
Manganese 0.084mg 0.974mg Brown rice
Selenium 27.5µg 5.8µg Couscous
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.17mg Brown rice
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.178mg Brown rice
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.069mg Brown rice
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 2.561mg Brown rice
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.38mg Brown rice
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.123mg Brown rice
Folate 15µg 9µg Couscous
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0.2µg Brown rice
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.033mg Couscous
Threonine 0.1mg 0.095mg Couscous
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.109mg Couscous
Leucine 0.259mg 0.214mg Couscous
Lysine 0.073mg 0.099mg Brown rice
Methionine 0.059mg 0.058mg Couscous
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.133mg Couscous
Valine 0.162mg 0.151mg Couscous
Histidine 0.077mg 0.066mg Couscous
Saturated Fat 0.029g 0.26g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.022g 0.369g Brown rice
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.366g Brown rice
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.355g Brown rice
Omega-3 - ALA 0.011g Brown rice

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Brown rice
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
7%
Couscous
14%
Brown rice
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Couscous
32%
Brown rice

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.14g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.231g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in glycemic index (difference - 1)
Which food is cheaper?
Couscous
Couscous is cheaper (difference - $0.7)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Brown rice
Brown rice contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Brown rice
Brown rice is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Brown rice
Brown rice is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Couscous - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169700/nutrients
  2. Brown rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169704/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.