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  6. Brown rice vs. Couscous

Brown rice vs. Couscous — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the main differences between Brown rice and Couscous?

  • Brown rice is richer in Manganese, Phosphorus, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B1, Magnesium, Copper, and Vitamin B6, while Couscous is higher in Selenium.
  • Couscous's daily need coverage for Selenium is 39% higher.
  • Couscous has 12 times less Manganese than Brown rice. Brown rice has 0.974mg of Manganese, while Couscous has 0.084mg.

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

Infographic

Brown rice vs Couscous 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.
Brown rice
Brown rice
8
:
2
Couscous
Couscous
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%
Contains more Calcium +166.7%
Contains more Selenium +374.1%
Brown rice
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 1% 22% 28% 45% 8% 1% 20% 36% 128% 32%
Couscous
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 15% 6% 10% 6% 1% 8% 14% 11% 150%
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%
Contains more Calcium +166.7%
Contains more Selenium +374.1%

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.
Brown rice
Brown rice
7
:
1
Couscous
Couscous
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%
Contains more Folate +66.7%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.371
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%
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%
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%
Contains more Folate +66.7%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.371

Macronutrient Comparison

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

Fat Type Comparison

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

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Brown rice Couscous
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 Brown rice Couscous Opinion
Net carbs 23.98g 21.82g Brown rice
Protein 2.74g 3.79g Couscous
Fats 0.97g 0.16g Brown rice
Carbs 25.58g 23.22g Brown rice
Calories 123kcal 112kcal Brown rice
Starch 24.79g Brown rice
Sugar 0.24g 0.1g Couscous
Fiber 1.6g 1.4g Brown rice
Calcium 3mg 8mg Couscous
Iron 0.56mg 0.38mg Brown rice
Magnesium 39mg 8mg Brown rice
Phosphorus 103mg 22mg Brown rice
Potassium 86mg 58mg Brown rice
Sodium 4mg 5mg Brown rice
Zinc 0.71mg 0.26mg Brown rice
Copper 0.106mg 0.041mg Brown rice
Manganese 0.974mg 0.084mg Brown rice
Selenium 5.8µg 27.5µg Couscous
Vitamin E 0.17mg 0.13mg Brown rice
Vitamin B1 0.178mg 0.063mg Brown rice
Vitamin B2 0.069mg 0.027mg Brown rice
Vitamin B3 2.561mg 0.983mg Brown rice
Vitamin B5 0.38mg 0.371mg Brown rice
Vitamin B6 0.123mg 0.051mg Brown rice
Folate 9µg 15µg Couscous
Vitamin K 0.2µg 0.1µg Brown rice
Tryptophan 0.033mg 0.049mg Couscous
Threonine 0.095mg 0.1mg Couscous
Isoleucine 0.109mg 0.147mg Couscous
Leucine 0.214mg 0.259mg Couscous
Lysine 0.099mg 0.073mg Brown rice
Methionine 0.058mg 0.059mg Couscous
Phenylalanine 0.133mg 0.184mg Couscous
Valine 0.151mg 0.162mg Couscous
Histidine 0.066mg 0.077mg Couscous
Saturated Fat 0.26g 0.029g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.369g 0.022g Brown rice
Polyunsaturated fat 0.366g 0.064g 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
Brown rice Couscous
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
14%
Brown rice
7%
Couscous
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
32%
Brown rice
22%
Couscous

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