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  6. Couscous vs. Spaghetti

Couscous vs. Spaghetti — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Significant differences between Couscous and Spaghetti

  • Couscous has more Vitamin B5, however, Spaghetti is richer in Manganese, Copper, and Phosphorus.
  • Spaghetti has 3 times less Vitamin B5 than Couscous. Couscous has 0.371mg of Vitamin B5, while Spaghetti has 0.112mg.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Couscous, cooked and Pasta, cooked, unenriched, without added salt.

Infographic

Couscous vs Spaghetti 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
Spaghetti
Spaghetti
Contains more Calcium +14.3%
Contains more Potassium +31.8%
Contains more Iron +31.6%
Contains more Magnesium +125%
Contains more Phosphorus +163.6%
Contains less Sodium -80%
Contains more Zinc +96.2%
Contains more Copper +143.9%
Contains more Manganese +283.3%
Equal in Selenium - 26.4
Couscous
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 15% 6% 10% 6% 1% 8% 14% 11% 150%
Spaghetti
Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc Copper Manganese Selenium 3% 19% 13% 25% 4% 1% 14% 34% 43% 144%
Contains more Calcium +14.3%
Contains more Potassium +31.8%
Contains more Iron +31.6%
Contains more Magnesium +125%
Contains more Phosphorus +163.6%
Contains less Sodium -80%
Contains more Zinc +96.2%
Contains more Copper +143.9%
Contains more Manganese +283.3%
Equal in Selenium - 26.4

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
8
:
0
Spaghetti
Spaghetti
Contains more Vitamin E +116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +35%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +231.3%
Contains more Folate +114.3%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Equal in Vitamin B6 - 0.049
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%
Spaghetti
Vitamin A Vitamin E Vitamin D Vitamin C Vitamin B1 Vitamin B2 Vitamin B3 Vitamin B5 Vitamin B6 Folate Vitamin B12 Vitamin K 0% 2% 0% 0% 5% 5% 8% 7% 12% 6% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin E +116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2 +35%
Contains more Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5 +231.3%
Contains more Folate +114.3%
Contains more Vitamin K +∞%
Equal in Vitamin B6 - 0.049

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
4
Spaghetti
Spaghetti
Contains more Water +16.8%
Contains more Protein +53%
Contains more Fats +481.3%
Contains more Carbs +32.9%
Equal in Other - 0.28
Couscous
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Spaghetti
6% 31% 62%
Protein: 5.8 g
Fats: 0.93 g
Carbs: 30.86 g
Water: 62.13 g
Other: 0.28 g
Contains more Water +16.8%
Contains more Protein +53%
Contains more Fats +481.3%
Contains more Carbs +32.9%
Equal in Other - 0.28

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Couscous
Couscous
1
:
2
Spaghetti
Spaghetti
Contains less Saturated Fat -83.5%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +495.5%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +409.4%
Couscous
25% 19% 56%
Saturated Fat: 0.029 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.064 g
Spaghetti
28% 21% 52%
Saturated Fat: 0.176 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.131 g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.326 g
Contains less Saturated Fat -83.5%
Contains more Monounsaturated Fat +495.5%
Contains more Polyunsaturated fat +409.4%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Couscous Spaghetti Opinion
Net carbs 21.82g 29.06g Spaghetti
Protein 3.79g 5.8g Spaghetti
Fats 0.16g 0.93g Spaghetti
Carbs 23.22g 30.86g Spaghetti
Calories 112kcal 158kcal Spaghetti
Starch 26.01g Spaghetti
Fructose 0.03g Spaghetti
Sugar 0.1g 0.56g Couscous
Fiber 1.4g 1.8g Spaghetti
Calcium 8mg 7mg Couscous
Iron 0.38mg 0.5mg Spaghetti
Magnesium 8mg 18mg Spaghetti
Phosphorus 22mg 58mg Spaghetti
Potassium 58mg 44mg Couscous
Sodium 5mg 1mg Spaghetti
Zinc 0.26mg 0.51mg Spaghetti
Copper 0.041mg 0.1mg Spaghetti
Manganese 0.084mg 0.322mg Spaghetti
Selenium 27.5µg 26.4µg Couscous
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.06mg Couscous
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.02mg Couscous
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.02mg Couscous
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 0.4mg Couscous
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.112mg Couscous
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.049mg Couscous
Folate 15µg 7µg Couscous
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0µg Couscous
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.083mg Spaghetti
Threonine 0.1mg 0.206mg Spaghetti
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.228mg Spaghetti
Leucine 0.259mg 0.44mg Spaghetti
Lysine 0.073mg 0.133mg Spaghetti
Methionine 0.059mg 0.065mg Spaghetti
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.297mg Spaghetti
Valine 0.162mg 0.262mg Spaghetti
Histidine 0.077mg 0.132mg Spaghetti
Saturated Fat 0.029g 0.176g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.022g 0.131g Spaghetti
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.326g Spaghetti
Omega-3 - ALA 0.024g Spaghetti

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Spaghetti
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Calories 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
3%
Spaghetti
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
22%
Couscous
30%
Spaghetti

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Spaghetti
Spaghetti contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is lower in glycemic index (difference - 16)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.46g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.147g)
Which food is cheaper?
Couscous
Couscous is cheaper (difference - $0.3)
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. Spaghetti - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168928/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.