Croissant vs Danish pastry - Health impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
Danish pastry has less cholesterol than Croissant. Croissant is higher in carbs and glycemic index. Croissant is five times higher in vitamin A, while Danish pastry provides more vitamin K.
Table of contents
Introduction
Croissant and Danish pastry are popular sweet food products of European origin. In this article, we will be comparing Croissant (1) and Danish pastry (2), focusing on nutrition.
Actual differences
Croissant and Danish pastry are multilayered laminated pastries, but Croissant dough is believed to provide more layers when baked.
Though the recipes are similar, traditional Danish dough is often prepared with eggs in contrast to Croissant dough.
Different types of these pastries may have various fillings. Croissant and Danish pastry differ in folding: the first is letter-folded, while Danish is made using a book fold.
Nutrition
Calories
Both Croissant and Danish pastry are high-calorie food products. Croissant is higher in calories: it provides 406 calories per 100g, while the same amount of Danish has 374 calories.
Fats
Croissant and Danish pastry have almost the same fat content. However, there is a tiny difference: Danish pastry has 0.9g more fats. Croissant is higher in saturated fats, while Danish provides two times more mono/polyunsaturated fats.
Cholesterol
Croissant is three times richer in cholesterol.
Danish pastry provides 23mg of it, while Croissant contains 67mg.
Carbs
The amounts of carbs in two pastries come from their ingredients. Croissant is higher in carbs than Danish pastries: 100g amount of them contains 45.8g and 37.2g of carbohydrates accordingly. Croissant is higher in sugar content. It also provides two times more fiber than Danish pastry.
Protein
Croissant and Danish pastry contain some proteins due to the ingredients they are prepared from. Croissant contains 0.2g more protein per 100g, so this difference can be neglected.
Minerals
The mineral composition of these two pastries is almost similar. However, Croissant is higher in iron and potassium. In contrast, levels of sodium and copper are higher in Danish pastry. You can check the mineral comparison in the chart below.
Mineral Comparison
Vitamins
Croissant has higher vitamin content than Danish pastry. Croissants are more than two times richer in vitamins B1 and B5 and five times richer in vitamin A. Danish pastry is lower in vitamins E, C, and folate.
Danish pastry provides more amounts of vitamin K and vitamin B12.
Vitamin Comparison
Glycemic index
Both Croissant and Danish pastry are considered to have a medium glycemic index. However, Croissant's GI (56) is higher than the GI of Danish pastry (50). You can check the GI values for the other foods by visiting our glycemic index chart.
Health impact
Cardiovascular health
Croissant and Danish pastry are considered to be processed food products. They can contain trans fats and saturated fats that increase the amounts of LDL cholesterol, causing a higher risk of heart disease and stroke (3) (4) (5). These two pastries are also high in sodium. A high intake of dietary sodium is linked with the development of heart disease (6). It is recommended to reduce the consumption of processed food products.
References
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174987/nutrients
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172754/nutrients
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31336535/
- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/trans-fat
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30084105/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32992705/
Infographic
Macronutrient Comparison
Fat Type Comparison
Comparison summary table
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Cholesterol |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Lower in glycemic index |
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Rich in vitamins |
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| Lower in price | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Net carbs | 43.2g | 36.2g |
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| Protein | 8.2g | 8g |
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| Fats | 21g | 21.9g |
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| Carbs | 45.8g | 37.2g |
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| Calories | 406kcal | 374kcal |
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| Sugar | 11.26g | 6.95g |
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| Fiber | 2.6g | 1g |
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| Calcium | 37mg | 35mg |
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| Iron | 2.03mg | 1.8mg |
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| Magnesium | 16mg | 15mg |
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| Phosphorus | 105mg | 108mg |
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| Potassium | 118mg | 98mg |
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| Sodium | 467mg | 417mg |
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| Zinc | 0.75mg | 0.7mg |
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| Copper | 0.08mg | 0.089mg |
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| Vitamin A | 744IU | 128IU |
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| Vitamin A RAE | 206µg | 35µg |
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| Vitamin E | 0.84mg | 0.35mg |
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| Vitamin D | 0IU | 2IU |
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| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0.1mg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.388mg | 0.19mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0.241mg | 0.26mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 2.188mg | 2mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.861mg | 0.304mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.058mg | 0.04mg |
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| Folate | 88µg | 60µg |
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| Vitamin B12 | 0.16µg | 0.2µg |
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| Vitamin K | 1.8µg | 6.9µg |
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| Tryptophan | 0.099mg | 0.089mg |
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| Threonine | 0.284mg | 0.293mg |
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| Isoleucine | 0.365mg | 0.371mg |
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| Leucine | 0.623mg | 0.644mg |
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| Lysine | 0.329mg | 0.43mg |
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| Methionine | 0.175mg | 0.174mg |
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| Phenylalanine | 0.416mg | 0.402mg |
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| Valine | 0.41mg | 0.412mg |
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| Histidine | 0.187mg | 0.205mg |
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| Cholesterol | 67mg | 23mg |
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| Saturated Fat | 11.659g | 6.794g |
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| Omega-3 - DHA | 0.002g | 0.001g |
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| Omega-3 - EPA | 0.003g | 0g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 5.525g | 11.313g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.094g | 2.575g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low glycemic index diet |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary