Arepas vs. Pupusas — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Origin and Preparation

Arepas are savory cakes made from cornmeal, usually eaten in northern parts of South America, predominantly in Colombia and Venezuela. Pupusas originate in Central America, particularly in El Salvador and Honduras, and can be made not only from cornmeal but also from rice flour. Hence, both are popular traditional dishes across Latin America. 

Arepas are made using a specific precooked corn flour called Masarepa. On the other hand, pupusas are made from more digestible instant corn masa flour (Masa Harina). Besides the flour, the other two main ingredients for these flatbreads are just salt and water.

Appearance

Pupusas are usually flatter and larger in diameter compared to arepas. Arepas can slightly resemble burgers when sliced and stuffed with fillings, while pupusas are usually sealed.

Taste and Use

Pupusas are stuffed with various savory fillings before cooking, while arepas are sliced and stuffed after cooking the dough. Popular recipes include fillings such as cheese, pork, beef, beans, vegetables, and more.

At the same time, Colombian arepas can be eaten without fillings or stuffed before cooking, like pupusas.

Pupusas are most commonly served with curtido – a fermented cabbage slaw. However, depending on the recipes and preferences, they both can be consumed as a snack, a dessert, or a main. Arepas and pupusas are also commonly served with sauces or salsa.  

Macronutrients and Calories

One piece of arepa is roughly 98g, while stuffed pupusa weighs a little more – 122g per piece of pupusa with pork, 126g per piece of pupusa with beans, and 117g per piece of pupusa with cheese.

Below we will compare equal 100g servings of each food.

Vitamins

The added stuffings of pork, cheese, or beans make pupusa richer in most vitamins compared to arepa.

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.

Arepa

2

Pupusas

11

Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+153.6%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+218.2%

Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+20.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+18.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2	+107.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+167.2%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+216.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+115%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+∞%
Contains more CholineCholine	+772.7%

Minerals

Similar to vitamins, stuffed pupusas are richer in most minerals than arepa. However, a plain arepa is usually higher in calcium and lower in sodium. Arepa is also an excellent source of phosphorus and iron.

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.

Arepa

2

Pupusas

7

Contains more CalciumCalcium	+81.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium	-36.6%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+40.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+189.8%
Contains more CopperCopper	+116.7%
Contains more ZincZinc	+102.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+38.5%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+37.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+191.8%

~equal in Iron ~1.01mg

Glycemic Index

Arepas have been researched to have a low to medium glycemic index value, depending on the type of flour used, falling in the range of 55 to 72 (3).

An exact number has not yet been researched for the glycemic index of pupusas; however, it can be assumed to be lower than arepa’s value due to a low net carbs content.

Acidity

One way to understand the acidity of foods is through their potential renal acid load (PRAL) value, which shows how much acid or base the given food produces inside the organism. 

PRAL values for arepas and pork pupusas are 3.3 and 4.7, respectively, which means both dishes are acidic.