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Cereal vs. Pasta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Important differences between Cereal and Pasta

  • Pasta has less Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Iron, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin A, Zinc, Vitamin C, and Manganese.
  • Cereal's daily need coverage for Vitamin B1 is 507% more.
  • Pasta is lower in Sodium.

The food varieties used in the comparison are Cereals ready-to-eat, USDA Commodity Corn and Rice (includes all commodity brands) and Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked.

Infographic

Cereal vs Pasta infographic
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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.
Cereal
8
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 3% 9.3% 1277% 46% 207% 33% 104% 103% 34%
Pasta
1
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 13% 1.8% 2.1% 43% 31% 15% 27% 0.78% 29% 0%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +66.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +337.5%
Contains more IronIron +2887.7%
Contains more CopperCopper +47.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +1257.1%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +22.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +252.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains less SodiumSodium -99.2%
~equal in Magnesium ~18mg

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.
Cereal
8
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 128% 168% 1.6% 0% 1572% 893% 555% 14% 1381% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Pasta
2
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 1.2% 0% 0% 52% 35% 19% 11% 7.8% 18% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +13860%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +2908.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +2480%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +2885.9%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +23.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +17505.9%
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg
~equal in Choline ~mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
4
6% 87% 4% 2%
Protein: 6.06 g
Fats: 1.08 g
Carbs: 86.85 g
Water: 3.78 g
Other: 2.23 g
Pasta
1
5% 25% 69%
Protein: 5.15 g
Fats: 1.05 g
Carbs: 24.93 g
Water: 68.56 g
Other: 0.31 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +17.7%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +248.4%
Contains more OtherOther +619.4%
Contains more WaterWater +1713.8%
~equal in Fats ~1.05g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
1
32% 25% 43%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.26 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.204 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.354 g
Pasta
2
21% 18% 61%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.15 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.124 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.429 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +64.5%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -42.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +21.2%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cereal Pasta Opinion
Calories 378kcal 131kcal Cereal
Protein 6.06g 5.15g Cereal
Fats 1.08g 1.05g Cereal
Vitamin C 38.5mg 0mg Cereal
Net carbs 85.45g 24.93g Cereal
Carbs 86.85g 24.93g Cereal
Cholesterol 33mg Cereal
Magnesium 19mg 18mg Cereal
Calcium 10mg 6mg Cereal
Potassium 105mg 24mg Cereal
Iron 34.06mg 1.14mg Cereal
Sugar 10.35g Pasta
Fiber 1.4g Cereal
Copper 0.137mg 0.093mg Cereal
Zinc 7.6mg 0.56mg Cereal
Phosphorus 77mg 63mg Cereal
Sodium 795mg 6mg Pasta
Vitamin A 2792IU 20IU Cereal
Vitamin A 814µg 6µg Cereal
Vitamin E 0.08mg Cereal
Manganese 0.79mg 0.224mg Cereal
Selenium 6.3µg Cereal
Vitamin B1 6.288mg 0.209mg Cereal
Vitamin B2 3.87mg 0.15mg Cereal
Vitamin B3 29.62mg 0.992mg Cereal
Vitamin B5 0.226mg 0.183mg Cereal
Vitamin B6 5.986mg 0.034mg Cereal
Vitamin B12 0.14µg Pasta
Folate 64µg Pasta
Saturated Fat 0.26g 0.15g Pasta
Monounsaturated Fat 0.204g 0.124g Cereal
Polyunsaturated fat 0.354g 0.429g Pasta
Tryptophan 0.066mg 0.065mg Cereal
Threonine 0.241mg 0.134mg Cereal
Isoleucine 0.26mg 0.197mg Cereal
Leucine 0.767mg 0.348mg Cereal
Lysine 0.113mg 0.097mg Cereal
Methionine 0.13mg 0.079mg Cereal
Phenylalanine 0.365mg 0.247mg Cereal
Valine 0.344mg 0.217mg Cereal
Histidine 0.162mg 0.103mg Cereal
Fructose 0.26g Cereal

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cereal Pasta
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs 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
363%
Cereal
15%
Pasta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
183%
Cereal
16%
Pasta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 10.35g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Pasta
Pasta contains less Sodium (difference - 789mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.11g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in glycemic index (difference - 20)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Cereal
Cereal is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Cereal
Cereal is cheaper (difference - $3)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Cereal
Cereal is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Cereal
Cereal is relatively richer in vitamins

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. Pasta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169728/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.