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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.
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%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 28% 0.9% 7.6% 21% 35% 19% 44% 0.52% 127% 32%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +166.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +374.1%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +387.5%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +48.3%
Contains more IronIron +47.4%
Contains more CopperCopper +158.5%
Contains more ZincZinc +173.1%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +368.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -20%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +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.
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%
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% 3.4% 0% 45% 16% 48% 23% 28% 0% 0.5% 6.8% 5%
Contains more FolateFolate +66.7%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +30.8%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +182.5%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +155.6%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +160.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +141.2%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +100%
Contains more CholineCholine +178.8%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.38mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

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
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 ProteinProtein +38.3%
Contains more FatsFats +506.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +10.2%
Contains more OtherOther +69.2%
~equal in Water ~70.27g

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
26% 37% 37%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.26 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.369 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.366 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -88.8%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +1577.3%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated 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 DV% diff.
Manganese 0.084mg 0.974mg 39%
Selenium 27.5µg 5.8µg 39%
Phosphorus 22mg 103mg 12%
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.178mg 10%
Starch 24.79g 10%
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 2.561mg 10%
Magnesium 8mg 39mg 7%
Copper 0.041mg 0.106mg 7%
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.123mg 6%
Zinc 0.26mg 0.71mg 4%
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.069mg 3%
Iron 0.38mg 0.56mg 2%
Folate 15µg 9µg 2%
Protein 3.79g 2.74g 2%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.366g 2%
Choline 3.3mg 9.2mg 1%
Saturated fat 0.029g 0.26g 1%
Monounsaturated fat 0.022g 0.369g 1%
Calories 112kcal 123kcal 1%
Potassium 58mg 86mg 1%
Fiber 1.4g 1.6g 1%
Calcium 8mg 3mg 1%
Carbs 23.22g 25.58g 1%
Fats 0.16g 0.97g 1%
Net carbs 21.82g 23.98g N/A
Sugar 0.1g 0.24g N/A
Sodium 5mg 4mg 0%
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.17mg 0%
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.38mg 0%
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0.2µg 0%
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.033mg 0%
Threonine 0.1mg 0.095mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.109mg 0%
Leucine 0.259mg 0.214mg 0%
Lysine 0.073mg 0.099mg 0%
Methionine 0.059mg 0.058mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.133mg 0%
Valine 0.162mg 0.151mg 0%
Histidine 0.077mg 0.066mg 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.011g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.355g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Brown rice
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
13%
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.