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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.
  • Couscous has a higher glycemic index. The glycemic index of couscous is 65, while the glycemic index of spaghetti is 49.

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

Infographic

Couscous vs Spaghetti 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%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 13% 2.1% 3.9% 19% 33% 14% 25% 0.13% 42% 144%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +14.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +31.8%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +125%
Contains more IronIron +31.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +143.9%
Contains more ZincZinc +96.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +163.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium -80%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +283.3%
~equal in Selenium ~26.4µg

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% 1.2% 0% 5% 4.6% 7.5% 6.7% 11% 0% 0% 5.3% 3.5%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +35%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +231.3%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +114.3%
Contains more CholineCholine +93.9%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.049mg
~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
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 WaterWater +16.8%
Contains more ProteinProtein +53%
Contains more FatsFats +481.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +32.9%
~equal in Other ~0.28g

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
28% 21% 52%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.176 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.131 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.326 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -83.5%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +495.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated 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 DV% diff.
Starch 26.01g 11%
Manganese 0.084mg 0.322mg 10%
Copper 0.041mg 0.1mg 7%
Vitamin B5 0.371mg 0.112mg 5%
Phosphorus 22mg 58mg 5%
Protein 3.79g 5.8g 4%
Vitamin B3 0.983mg 0.4mg 4%
Vitamin B1 0.063mg 0.02mg 4%
Carbs 23.22g 30.86g 3%
Zinc 0.26mg 0.51mg 2%
Calories 112kcal 158kcal 2%
Fiber 1.4g 1.8g 2%
Iron 0.38mg 0.5mg 2%
Folate 15µg 7µg 2%
Magnesium 8mg 18mg 2%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.064g 0.326g 2%
Selenium 27.5µg 26.4µg 2%
Choline 3.3mg 6.4mg 1%
Saturated fat 0.029g 0.176g 1%
Vitamin B2 0.027mg 0.02mg 1%
Fats 0.16g 0.93g 1%
Net carbs 21.82g 29.06g N/A
Calcium 8mg 7mg 0%
Potassium 58mg 44mg 0%
Sugar 0.1g 0.56g N/A
Sodium 5mg 1mg 0%
Vitamin E 0.13mg 0.06mg 0%
Vitamin B6 0.051mg 0.049mg 0%
Vitamin K 0.1µg 0µg 0%
Monounsaturated fat 0.022g 0.131g 0%
Tryptophan 0.049mg 0.083mg 0%
Threonine 0.1mg 0.206mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.147mg 0.228mg 0%
Leucine 0.259mg 0.44mg 0%
Lysine 0.073mg 0.133mg 0%
Methionine 0.059mg 0.065mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.184mg 0.297mg 0%
Valine 0.162mg 0.262mg 0%
Histidine 0.077mg 0.132mg 0%
Fructose 0.03g 0%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.024g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Couscous Spaghetti
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
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.