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Pasta vs. French fries — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Important differences between pasta and french fries

  • Pasta has more vitamin B2 and folate; however, french fries have more vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin B3, phosphorus, and vitamin B5.
  • French fries' daily need coverage for vitamin B6 is 26% more.
  • French fries have a higher glycemic index than pasta.

The food varieties used in the comparison are Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked and Fast foods, potato, french fried in vegetable oil.

Infographic

Pasta vs French fries 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
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%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 25% 5.4% 51% 30% 41% 14% 54% 27% 32% 4.9%
Contains more IronIron +40.7%
Contains more ZincZinc +12%
Contains less SodiumSodium -97.1%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +94.4%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +200%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +2312.5%
Contains more CopperCopper +33.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +98.4%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +10.3%

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
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%
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 16% 0% 33% 0% 43% 9% 56% 35% 86% 0% 28% 23% 20%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +22.9%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +284.6%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +113.3%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +202.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +216.9%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +994.1%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

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
3% 15% 41% 39% 2%
Protein: 3.43 g
Fats: 14.73 g
Carbs: 41.44 g
Water: 38.55 g
Other: 1.85 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +50.1%
Contains more WaterWater +77.8%
Contains more FatsFats +1302.9%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +66.2%
Contains more OtherOther +496.8%

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
17% 44% 39%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 2.336 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 5.969 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 5.398 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -93.6%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +4713.7%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +1158.3%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Pasta French fries
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 ok
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Pasta French fries DV% diff.
Polyunsaturated fat 0.429g 5.398g 33%
Vitamin B6 0.034mg 0.372mg 26%
Fats 1.05g 14.73g 21%
Potassium 24mg 579mg 16%
Monounsaturated fat 0.124g 5.969g 15%
Fiber 3.8g 15%
Vitamin B3 0.992mg 3.004mg 13%
Cholesterol 33mg 0mg 11%
Vitamin E 1.67mg 11%
Saturated fat 0.15g 2.336g 10%
Calories 131kcal 312kcal 9%
Sodium 6mg 210mg 9%
Folate 64µg 30µg 9%
Vitamin K 11.2µg 9%
Vitamin B2 0.15mg 0.039mg 9%
Phosphorus 63mg 125mg 9%
Vitamin B5 0.183mg 0.58mg 8%
Choline 36.8mg 7%
Carbs 24.93g 41.44g 6%
Vitamin B12 0.14µg 0µg 6%
Vitamin C 0mg 4.7mg 5%
Iron 1.14mg 0.81mg 4%
Magnesium 18mg 35mg 4%
Vitamin B1 0.209mg 0.17mg 3%
Copper 0.093mg 0.124mg 3%
Protein 5.15g 3.43g 3%
Selenium 0.9µg 2%
Vitamin A 6µg 0µg 1%
Manganese 0.224mg 0.247mg 1%
Calcium 6mg 18mg 1%
Zinc 0.56mg 0.5mg 1%
Net carbs 24.93g 37.64g N/A
Sugar 0.3g N/A
Trans fat 0.06g 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%
Omega-3 - ALA 0.407g N/A
Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid 0.001g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.029g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0.007g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 4.898g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Pasta French fries
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
15%
Pasta
27%
French fries
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
16%
Pasta
28%
French fries

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.3g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Pasta
Pasta contains less Sodium (difference - 204mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 2.186g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in glycemic index (difference - 21)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
French fries
French fries is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food is cheaper?
French fries
French fries is cheaper (difference - $3)
Which food is richer in minerals?
French fries
French fries is relatively richer in minerals
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. Pasta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169728/nutrients
  2. French fries - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170698/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.