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Falafel vs. Fast food — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between falafel and fast food

  • Falafel is higher in copper, manganese, magnesium, and potassium, yet fast food is higher in vitamin B12, selenium, vitamin B3, vitamin B2, and vitamin B1.
  • Fast food covers your daily vitamin B12 needs 37% more than falafel.
  • Falafel contains 3 times more magnesium than fast food. While falafel contains 82mg of magnesium, fast food contains only 27mg.
  • The glycemic index of falafel is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are Falafel, home-prepared and Fast foods, hamburger; single, regular patty; plain.

Infographic

Falafel vs Fast food 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 59% 16% 52% 128% 86% 41% 82% 38% 90% 5.5%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 19% 17% 115% 40% 69% 57% 43% 47% 111%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +203.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +197%
Contains more IronIron +11.8%
Contains more CopperCopper +113.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +43.3%
Contains less SodiumSodium -11.2%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +93.6%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +14.8%
Contains more ZincZinc +68%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +1930%

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 5.3% 0.33% 0% 0% 37% 38% 20% 18% 29% 0% 0% 70% 0%
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% 3% 7.6% 1.5% 79% 84% 105% 32% 49% 111% 12% 60% 19%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +16.3%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +800%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +117.1%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +118.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +438%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +81.5%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +69.6%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
13% 18% 32% 35% 2%
Protein: 13.31 g
Fats: 17.8 g
Carbs: 31.84 g
Water: 34.62 g
Other: 2.43 g
17% 12% 32% 38%
Protein: 16.52 g
Fats: 12.01 g
Carbs: 31.5 g
Water: 38.45 g
Other: 1.52 g
Contains more FatsFats +48.2%
Contains more OtherOther +59.9%
Contains more ProteinProtein +24.1%
Contains more WaterWater +11.1%
~equal in Carbs ~31.5g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
14% 61% 25%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.383 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 10.171 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 4.16 g
41% 44% 15%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.493 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.835 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.68 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -47%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +110.4%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +147.6%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Falafel Fast food DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 0µg 0.89µg 37%
Selenium 1µg 20.3µg 35%
Vitamin B3 1.044mg 5.617mg 29%
Polyunsaturated fat 4.16g 1.68g 17%
Copper 0.258mg 0.121mg 15%
Vitamin B2 0.166mg 0.363mg 15%
Manganese 0.691mg 0.357mg 15%
Vitamin B1 0.146mg 0.317mg 14%
Magnesium 82mg 27mg 13%
Monounsaturated fat 10.171g 4.835g 13%
Potassium 585mg 197mg 11%
Cholesterol 0mg 33mg 11%
Saturated fat 2.383g 4.493g 10%
Fats 17.8g 12.01g 9%
Zinc 1.5mg 2.52mg 9%
Starch 22.87g 9%
Phosphorus 192mg 134mg 8%
Vitamin B6 0.125mg 0.212mg 7%
Fiber 1.7g 7%
Protein 13.31g 16.52g 6%
Choline 34.4mg 6%
Iron 3.42mg 3.06mg 5%
Vitamin B5 0.292mg 0.53mg 5%
Vitamin K 4.9µg 4%
Vitamin E 0.38mg 3%
Folate 93µg 80µg 3%
Fructose 2.27g 3%
Calories 333kcal 297kcal 2%
Vitamin C 1.6mg 0mg 2%
Sodium 294mg 331mg 2%
Vitamin D 0µg 0.1µg 1%
Calcium 54mg 62mg 1%
Vitamin A 1µg 9µg 1%
Carbs 31.84g 31.5g 0%
Net carbs 31.84g 29.8g N/A
Vitamin D 0IU 2IU 0%
Sugar 4.88g N/A
Trans fat 0g 0.514g N/A
Tryptophan 0.134mg 0.144mg 0%
Threonine 0.492mg 0.46mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.567mg 0.642mg 0%
Leucine 0.944mg 1.13mg 0%
Lysine 0.856mg 0.785mg 0%
Methionine 0.187mg 0.306mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.707mg 0.67mg 0%
Valine 0.562mg 0.728mg 0%
Histidine 0.364mg 0.402mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.005g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.121g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.003g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.391g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Falafel Fast food
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
17%
Falafel
43%
Fast food
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
60%
Falafel
54%
Fast food

Comparison summary

Which food is cheaper?
Fast food
Fast food is cheaper (difference - $4)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Fast food
Fast food is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Falafel
Falafel is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Falafel
Falafel is lower in Sugar (difference - 4.88g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Falafel
Falafel contains less Sodium (difference - 37mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Falafel
Falafel is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.11g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Falafel
Falafel is lower in glycemic index (difference - 33)
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. Falafel - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172455/nutrients
  2. Fast food - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170693/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.