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  6. Couscous vs. Rice

Couscous vs. Rice — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between Couscous and Rice

  • Couscous is richer in Selenium, yet Rice is richer in Manganese.
  • Daily need coverage for Selenium from Couscous is 36% higher.
  • Couscous contains 4 times more Fiber than Rice. Couscous contains 1.4g of Fiber, while Rice contains 0.4g.

Food types used in this article are Couscous, cooked and Rice, white, long-grain, regular, unenriched, cooked without salt.

Infographic

Couscous vs 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.
Couscous
Couscous
3
:
7
Rice
Rice
Contains more Iron +90%
Contains more Potassium +65.7%
Contains more Selenium +266.7%
Contains more Calcium +25%
Contains more Magnesium +50%
Contains more Phosphorus +95.5%
Contains less Sodium -80%
Contains more Zinc +88.5%
Contains more Copper +68.3%
Contains more Manganese +461.9%
Couscous
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 15% 6% 10% 6% 1% 8% 14% 11% 150%
Rice
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 8% 9% 19% 4% 1% 14% 24% 62% 41%
Contains more Iron +90%
Contains more Potassium +65.7%
Contains more Selenium +266.7%
Contains more Calcium +25%
Contains more Magnesium +50%
Contains more Phosphorus +95.5%
Contains less Sodium -80%
Contains more Zinc +88.5%
Contains more Copper +68.3%
Contains more Manganese +461.9%

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.
Couscous
Couscous
6
:
2
Rice
Rice
Contains more Vitamin E +225%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +107.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Folate +400%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +82.4%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.39
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%
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% 1% 0% 0% 5% 3% 8% 24% 22% 3% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin E +225%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +107.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Folate +400%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6 +82.4%
Equal in Vitamin B5 - 0.39

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
2
:
3
Rice
Rice
Contains more Protein +40.9%
Contains more Fats +75%
Contains more Carbs +21.3%
Contains more Other +61.5%
Equal in Water - 68.44
Couscous
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Rice
3% 28% 68%
Protein: 2.69 g
Fats: 0.28 g
Carbs: 28.17 g
Water: 68.44 g
Other: 0.42 g
Contains more Protein +40.9%
Contains more Fats +75%
Contains more Carbs +21.3%
Contains more Other +61.5%
Equal in Water - 68.44

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
2
Rice
Rice
Contains less Saturated Fat -62.3%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +300%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +18.8%
Couscous
25% 19% 56%
Saturated Fat: 0.029 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.064 g
Rice
32% 37% 32%
Saturated Fat: 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.088 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.076 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -62.3%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +300%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +18.8%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Couscous Rice Opinion
Net carbs 21.82g 27.77g Rice
Protein 3.79g 2.69g Couscous
Fats 0.16g 0.28g Rice
Carbs 23.22g 28.17g Rice
Calories 112kcal 130kcal Rice
Sugar 0.1g 0.05g Rice
Fiber 1.4g 0.4g Couscous
Calcium 8mg 10mg Rice
Iron 0.38mg 0.2mg Couscous
Magnesium 8mg 12mg Rice
Phosphorus 22mg 43mg Rice
Potassium 58mg 35mg Couscous
Sodium 5mg 1mg Rice
Zinc 0.26mg 0.49mg Rice
Copper 0.041mg 0.069mg Rice
Manganese 0.084mg 0.472mg Rice
Selenium 27.5µg 7.5µg Couscous
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.04mg Couscous
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.02mg Couscous
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.013mg Couscous
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 0.4mg Couscous
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.39mg Rice
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.093mg Rice
Folate 15µg 3µg Couscous
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0µg Couscous
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.031mg Couscous
Threonine 0.1mg 0.096mg Couscous
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.116mg Couscous
Leucine 0.259mg 0.222mg Couscous
Lysine 0.073mg 0.097mg Rice
Methionine 0.059mg 0.063mg Rice
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.144mg Couscous
Valine 0.162mg 0.164mg Rice
Histidine 0.077mg 0.063mg Couscous
Saturated Fat 0.029g 0.077g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.022g 0.088g Rice
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.076g Rice

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Rice
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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
5%
Rice
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Couscous
18%
Rice

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Rice
Rice is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.05g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Rice
Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Rice
Rice is lower in glycemic index (difference - 5)
Which food is cheaper?
Rice
Rice is cheaper (difference - $0.3)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.048g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Couscous
Couscous is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
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. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169757/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.