Foodstruct Nutrition Search | Diet Analysis | Food Comparison | Glycemic Index Chart | Insulin Index Chart | Blog | Subscribe | Sign Up

Mashed potato vs. Pasta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

Compare

Summary of differences between mashed potato and pasta

  • Mashed potato has more potassium and vitamin B6; however, pasta is higher in vitamin B1, folate, vitamin B2, iron, copper, and manganese.
  • Pasta covers your daily need for vitamin B1, 16% more than mashed potato.
  • Mashed potato has 51 times more sodium than pasta. While mashed potato has 306mg of sodium, pasta has only 6mg.
  • The glycemic index of mashed potato is higher.

These are the specific foods used in this comparison Fast foods, potato, mashed and Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked.

Infographic

Mashed potato vs Pasta 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 11% 5.4% 25% 12% 12% 6% 25% 40% 13% 4.4%
Pasta
6
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 +200%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +1091.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +20%
Contains more IronIron +267.7%
Contains more CopperCopper +165.7%
Contains more ZincZinc +154.5%
Contains less SodiumSodium -98%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +128.6%
~equal in Phosphorus ~63mg

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% 14% 8.4% 0% 3.8% 3.5% 20% 0% 28% 8.8% 15% 6.8% 7.3%
Pasta
5
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 AVitamin A +616.7%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +252.9%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +1293.3%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +900%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +100%
Contains more FolateFolate +611.1%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin B3 ~0.992mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
3% 15% 80%
Protein: 1.65 g
Fats: 2.82 g
Carbs: 14.65 g
Water: 79.62 g
Other: 1.26 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 FatsFats +168.6%
Contains more WaterWater +16.1%
Contains more OtherOther +306.5%
Contains more ProteinProtein +212.1%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +70.2%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
22% 27% 51%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.577 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.72 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.342 g
Pasta
1
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 +480.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +212.8%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -74%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Mashed potato Pasta DV% diff.
Vitamin B1 0.015mg 0.209mg 16%
Folate 9µg 64µg 14%
Sodium 306mg 6mg 13%
Cholesterol 0mg 33mg 11%
Iron 0.31mg 1.14mg 10%
Vitamin B2 0.015mg 0.15mg 10%
Potassium 286mg 24mg 8%
Vitamin B6 0.12mg 0.034mg 7%
Protein 1.65g 5.15g 7%
Copper 0.035mg 0.093mg 6%
Polyunsaturated fat 1.342g 0.429g 6%
Fiber 1.3g 5%
Starch 12.1g 5%
Vitamin K 5.9µg 5%
Manganese 0.098mg 0.224mg 5%
Vitamin A 43µg 6µg 4%
Vitamin B5 0.183mg 4%
Zinc 0.22mg 0.56mg 3%
Carbs 14.65g 24.93g 3%
Vitamin E 0.42mg 3%
Vitamin B12 0.07µg 0.14µg 3%
Fats 2.82g 1.05g 3%
Choline 13.4mg 2%
Saturated fat 0.577g 0.15g 2%
Calories 89kcal 131kcal 2%
Vitamin B3 1.08mg 0.992mg 1%
Selenium 0.8µg 1%
Phosphorus 59mg 63mg 1%
Calcium 18mg 6mg 1%
Magnesium 15mg 18mg 1%
Monounsaturated fat 0.72g 0.124g 1%
Net carbs 13.35g 24.93g N/A
Sugar 0.5g N/A
Trans fat 0.105g N/A
Tryptophan 0.065mg 0%
Threonine 0.134mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.197mg 0%
Leucine 0.348mg 0%
Lysine 0.097mg 0%
Methionine 0.079mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.247mg 0%
Valine 0.217mg 0%
Histidine 0.103mg 0%
Fructose 0.2g 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.174g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.146g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Mashed potato Pasta
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

People also compare

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
9%
Mashed potato
15%
Pasta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
15%
Mashed potato
16%
Pasta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.5g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Pasta
Pasta contains less Sodium (difference - 300mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.427g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in glycemic index (difference - 38)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Mashed potato
Mashed potato is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food is cheaper?
Mashed potato
Mashed potato is cheaper (difference - $3)
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.
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
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. Mashed potato - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170699/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.