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Ground beef vs. Pasta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are ground beef and pasta different?

  • Ground beef is higher in vitamin B12, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin B3, phosphorus, and iron; however, pasta is richer in folate and vitamin B1.
  • Daily need coverage for vitamin B12 for ground beef is 98% higher.
  • Ground beef contains 40 times more saturated fat than pasta. While ground beef contains 6.073g of saturated fat, pasta contains only 0.15g.
  • Ground beef has a lower glycemic index (0) than pasta (49).

Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, loaf, cooked, baked and Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Ground beef vs Pasta 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 12% 9.9% 21% 85% 26% 159% 71% 9.5% 1.2% 104%
Pasta
3
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 13% 1.8% 2.1% 43% 31% 15% 27% 0.78% 29% 0%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +450%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +904.2%
Contains more IronIron +99.1%
Contains more ZincZinc +942.9%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +163.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more CopperCopper +17.7%
Contains less SodiumSodium -91.8%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +2388.9%
~equal in Magnesium ~18mg

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% 1% 2.4% 0% 13% 39% 75% 31% 72% 311% 7.3% 5.3% 40%
Pasta
3
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% 2% 0% 0% 52% 35% 19% 11% 7.8% 18% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +14%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +305.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +179.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +814.7%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +1678.6%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +100%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +309.8%
Contains more FolateFolate +814.3%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
24% 15% 58% 2%
Protein: 23.87 g
Fats: 15.37 g
Carbs: 0 g
Water: 58.37 g
Other: 2.39 g
Pasta
2
5% 25% 69%
Protein: 5.15 g
Fats: 1.05 g
Carbs: 24.93 g
Water: 68.56 g
Other: 0.31 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +363.5%
Contains more FatsFats +1363.8%
Contains more OtherOther +671%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +∞%
Contains more WaterWater +17.5%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
44% 53% 3%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 6.073 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 7.322 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.408 g
Pasta
2
21% 18% 61%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.15 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.124 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.429 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +5804.8%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -97.5%
~equal in Polyunsaturated fat ~0.429g

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Ground beef Pasta DV% diff.
Vitamin B12 2.49µg 0.14µg 98%
Zinc 5.84mg 0.56mg 48%
Protein 23.87g 5.15g 37%
Selenium 19.1µg 35%
Saturated fat 6.073g 0.15g 27%
Fats 15.37g 1.05g 22%
Vitamin B6 0.311mg 0.034mg 21%
Vitamin B3 4.026mg 0.992mg 19%
Cholesterol 88mg 33mg 18%
Monounsaturated fat 7.322g 0.124g 18%
Phosphorus 166mg 63mg 15%
Folate 7µg 64µg 14%
Iron 2.27mg 1.14mg 14%
Choline 73.2mg 13%
Vitamin B1 0.051mg 0.209mg 13%
Manganese 0.009mg 0.224mg 9%
Carbs 0g 24.93g 8%
Vitamin B5 0.512mg 0.183mg 7%
Calories 241kcal 131kcal 6%
Potassium 241mg 24mg 6%
Calcium 33mg 6mg 3%
Sodium 73mg 6mg 3%
Vitamin B2 0.171mg 0.15mg 2%
Copper 0.079mg 0.093mg 2%
Vitamin K 2.9µg 2%
Vitamin E 0.12mg 1%
Net carbs 0g 24.93g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Magnesium 17mg 18mg 0%
Vitamin A 3µg 6µg 0%
Trans fat 1.173g N/A
Polyunsaturated fat 0.408g 0.429g 0%
Tryptophan 0.121mg 0.065mg 0%
Threonine 0.923mg 0.134mg 0%
Isoleucine 1.055mg 0.197mg 0%
Leucine 1.861mg 0.348mg 0%
Lysine 1.976mg 0.097mg 0%
Methionine 0.614mg 0.079mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.931mg 0.247mg 0%
Valine 1.172mg 0.217mg 0%
Histidine 0.775mg 0.103mg 0%
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.008g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Ground beef Pasta
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
46%
Ground beef
15%
Pasta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
50%
Ground beef
16%
Pasta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 55mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 0g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Pasta
Pasta contains less Sodium (difference - 67mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 5.923g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Ground beef
Ground beef is lower in glycemic index (difference - 49)
Which food is cheaper?
Ground beef
Ground beef is cheaper (difference - $1)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Ground beef
Ground beef is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Ground beef
Ground beef is relatively richer in vitamins

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. Ground beef - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169474/nutrients
  2. Pasta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169728/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.