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Couscous vs. Pasta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Summary of differences between couscous and pasta

  • Couscous has less folate, vitamin B1, iron, vitamin B2, manganese, phosphorus, vitamin B12, and copper than pasta.
  • Pasta covers your daily need for folate, 12% more than couscous.
  • The glycemic index of couscous is higher.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Couscous, cooked and Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked.

Infographic

Couscous 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 5.7% 2.4% 5.1% 14% 14% 7.1% 9.4% 0.65% 11% 150%
Pasta
6
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 +33.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +141.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium -16.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +125%
Contains more IronIron +200%
Contains more CopperCopper +126.8%
Contains more ZincZinc +115.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +186.4%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +166.7%

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.
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% 0% 2.6% 0% 16% 6.2% 18% 22% 12% 0% 0.25% 11% 1.8%
Pasta
5
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% 2% 0% 0% 52% 35% 19% 11% 7.8% 18% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +102.7%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +50%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +231.7%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +455.6%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +326.7%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B3 ~0.992mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Pasta
4
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 +35.9%
Contains more FatsFats +556.3%
Contains more OtherOther +19.2%
~equal in Carbs ~24.93g
~equal in Water ~68.56g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
25% 19% 56%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.029 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.064 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 less Sat. FatSaturated fat -80.7%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +463.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +570.3%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Couscous Pasta DV% diff.
Selenium 27.5µg 50%
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.209mg 12%
Folate 15µg 64µg 12%
Cholesterol 0mg 33mg 11%
Iron 0.38mg 1.14mg 10%
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.15mg 9%
Fiber 1.4g 6%
Vitamin B12 0µg 0.14µg 6%
Copper 0.041mg 0.093mg 6%
Phosphorus 22mg 63mg 6%
Manganese 0.084mg 0.224mg 6%
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.183mg 4%
Zinc 0.26mg 0.56mg 3%
Protein 3.79g 5.15g 3%
Magnesium 8mg 18mg 2%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.429g 2%
Choline 3.3mg 1%
Saturated fat 0.029g 0.15g 1%
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.034mg 1%
Calories 112kcal 131kcal 1%
Vitamin E 0.13mg 1%
Fats 0.16g 1.05g 1%
Potassium 58mg 24mg 1%
Carbs 23.22g 24.93g 1%
Vitamin A 0µg 6µg 1%
Net carbs 21.82g 24.93g N/A
Calcium 8mg 6mg 0%
Sugar 0.1g N/A
Sodium 5mg 6mg 0%
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 0.992mg 0%
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0%
Monounsaturated fat 0.022g 0.124g 0%
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.065mg 0%
Threonine 0.1mg 0.134mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.197mg 0%
Leucine 0.259mg 0.348mg 0%
Lysine 0.073mg 0.097mg 0%
Methionine 0.059mg 0.079mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.247mg 0%
Valine 0.162mg 0.217mg 0%
Histidine 0.077mg 0.103mg 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous 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
7%
Couscous
15%
Pasta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Couscous
16%
Pasta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.1g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in glycemic index (difference - 16)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Pasta
Pasta is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Couscous
Couscous contains less Sodium (difference - 1mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.121g)
Which food is cheaper?
Couscous
Couscous is cheaper (difference - $1.7)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

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. 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.