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Pasta vs. American cheese — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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What are the differences between pasta and American cheese?

  • Pasta is higher in vitamin B1 and folate, yet American cheese is higher in calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B12, vitamin A, and zinc.
  • American cheese's daily need coverage for calcium is 104% more.
  • Pasta has 14 times more vitamin B1 than American cheese. While pasta has 0.209mg of vitamin B1, American cheese has only 0.015mg.
  • The amount of cholesterol in pasta is lower.
  • The glycemic index of American cheese is lower.

We used Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked and Cheese, pasteurized process, American, without added vitamin D types in this article.

Infographic

Pasta vs American cheese 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.
Pasta
4
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%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 314% 12% 24% 15% 68% 275% 218% 5.3% 110%
Contains more IronIron +81%
Contains more CopperCopper +102.2%
Contains less SodiumSodium -99.6%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +446.3%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +44.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +17316.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +450%
Contains more ZincZinc +344.6%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +917.5%

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.
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%
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% 83% 16% 9% 3.8% 54% 1.4% 24% 12% 188% 6.5% 6% 20%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +1293.3%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +1205.3%
Contains more FolateFolate +700%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +4066.7%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +56%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +120.2%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +58.8%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +971.4%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
18% 32% 4% 40% 7%
Protein: 18.13 g
Fats: 31.79 g
Carbs: 3.7 g
Water: 39.61 g
Other: 6.77 g
Contains more CarbsCarbs +573.8%
Contains more WaterWater +73.1%
Contains more ProteinProtein +252%
Contains more FatsFats +2927.6%
Contains more OtherOther +2083.9%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
65% 30% 5%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 18.057 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 8.236 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.286 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -99.2%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +6541.9%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +199.8%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Pasta American cheese
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 Pasta American cheese DV% diff.
Calcium 6mg 1045mg 104%
Phosphorus 63mg 641mg 83%
Saturated fat 0.15g 18.057g 81%
Sodium 6mg 1671mg 72%
Vitamin B12 0.14µg 1.5µg 57%
Fats 1.05g 31.79g 47%
Selenium 20.2µg 37%
Vitamin A 6µg 250µg 27%
Protein 5.15g 18.13g 26%
Cholesterol 33mg 100mg 22%
Monounsaturated fat 0.124g 8.236g 20%
Zinc 0.56mg 2.49mg 18%
Vitamin B1 0.209mg 0.015mg 16%
Folate 64µg 8µg 14%
Calories 131kcal 371kcal 12%
Manganese 0.224mg 0.041mg 8%
Carbs 24.93g 3.7g 7%
Choline 36.2mg 7%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.429g 1.286g 6%
Vitamin B2 0.15mg 0.234mg 6%
Iron 1.14mg 0.63mg 6%
Vitamin B3 0.992mg 0.076mg 6%
Copper 0.093mg 0.046mg 5%
Vitamin E 0.8mg 5%
Vitamin B5 0.183mg 0.403mg 4%
Potassium 24mg 132mg 3%
Vitamin D 23IU 3%
Vitamin D 0.6µg 3%
Vitamin B6 0.034mg 0.054mg 2%
Magnesium 18mg 26mg 2%
Vitamin K 2.6µg 2%
Net carbs 24.93g 3.7g N/A
Sugar 2.26g N/A
Trans fat 1.144g N/A
Tryptophan 0.065mg 0.232mg 0%
Threonine 0.134mg 0.772mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.197mg 0.938mg 0%
Leucine 0.348mg 1.716mg 0%
Lysine 0.097mg 1.516mg 0%
Methionine 0.079mg 0.475mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.247mg 0.939mg 0%
Valine 0.217mg 1.187mg 0%
Histidine 0.103mg 0.546mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0.012g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0.006g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.137g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0.021g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.033g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 0.79g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Pasta American cheese
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
15%
Pasta
33%
American cheese
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
16%
Pasta
106%
American cheese

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 67mg)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 2.26g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Pasta
Pasta contains less Sodium (difference - 1665mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 17.907g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
American cheese
American cheese is lower in glycemic index (difference - 22)
Which food is cheaper?
American cheese
American cheese is cheaper (difference - $0.6)
Which food is richer in minerals?
American cheese
American cheese is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
American cheese
American cheese 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. Pasta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169728/nutrients
  2. American cheese - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171290/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.