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Popcorn vs. Rice — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are popcorn and rice different?

  • Popcorn is higher in fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and potassium; however, rice is richer in selenium and folate.
  • Daily need coverage for fiber for popcorn is 56% higher.
  • Popcorn contains 36 times more Fiber than rice. While popcorn contains 14.5g of Fiber, rice contains only 0.4g.

Snacks, popcorn, air-popped and Rice, white, long-grain, regular, enriched, cooked are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Popcorn vs Rice 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 103% 2.1% 29% 120% 87% 84% 153% 1% 145% 0%
Rice
3
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 8.6% 3% 3.1% 45% 23% 13% 18% 0.13% 62% 41%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +1100%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +840%
Contains more IronIron +165.8%
Contains more CopperCopper +279.7%
Contains more ZincZinc +528.6%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +732.6%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +135.8%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +42.9%
Contains less SodiumSodium -87.5%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%

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% 12% 5.8% 0% 26% 19% 43% 31% 36% 0% 3% 23% 12%
Rice
2
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% 0% 0.8% 0% 41% 3% 28% 23% 21% 0% 0% 44% 1.1%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +625%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +538.5%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +56.4%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +30.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +68.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +909.5%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +56.7%
Contains more FolateFolate +87.1%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
13% 5% 78% 3%
Protein: 12.94 g
Fats: 4.54 g
Carbs: 77.78 g
Water: 3.32 g
Other: 1.42 g
Rice
1
3% 28% 68%
Protein: 2.69 g
Fats: 0.28 g
Carbs: 28.17 g
Water: 68.44 g
Other: 0.42 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +381%
Contains more FatsFats +1521.4%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +176.1%
Contains more OtherOther +238.1%
Contains more WaterWater +1961.4%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
16% 24% 59%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.637 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.95 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.318 g
Rice
1
32% 37% 32%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.088 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.076 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +979.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +2950%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -87.9%

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Popcorn Rice
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
Lower in Cholesterol Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Popcorn Rice Opinion
Calories 387kcal 130kcal Popcorn
Protein 12.94g 2.69g Popcorn
Fats 4.54g 0.28g Popcorn
Net carbs 63.28g 27.77g Popcorn
Carbs 77.78g 28.17g Popcorn
Magnesium 144mg 12mg Popcorn
Calcium 7mg 10mg Rice
Potassium 329mg 35mg Popcorn
Iron 3.19mg 1.2mg Popcorn
Sugar 0.87g 0.05g Rice
Fiber 14.5g 0.4g Popcorn
Copper 0.262mg 0.069mg Popcorn
Zinc 3.08mg 0.49mg Popcorn
Starch 54.4g Popcorn
Phosphorus 358mg 43mg Popcorn
Sodium 8mg 1mg Rice
Vitamin A 196IU 0IU Popcorn
Vitamin A 10µg 0µg Popcorn
Vitamin E 0.29mg 0.04mg Popcorn
Manganese 1.113mg 0.472mg Popcorn
Selenium 0µg 7.5µg Rice
Vitamin B1 0.104mg 0.163mg Rice
Vitamin B2 0.083mg 0.013mg Popcorn
Vitamin B3 2.308mg 1.476mg Popcorn
Vitamin B5 0.51mg 0.39mg Popcorn
Vitamin B6 0.157mg 0.093mg Popcorn
Vitamin K 1.2µg 0µg Popcorn
Folate 31µg 58µg Rice
Choline 21.2mg 2.1mg Popcorn
Saturated Fat 0.637g 0.077g Rice
Monounsaturated Fat 0.95g 0.088g Popcorn
Polyunsaturated fat 2.318g 0.076g Popcorn
Tryptophan 0.085mg 0.031mg Popcorn
Threonine 0.452mg 0.096mg Popcorn
Isoleucine 0.431mg 0.116mg Popcorn
Leucine 1.473mg 0.222mg Popcorn
Lysine 0.338mg 0.097mg Popcorn
Methionine 0.252mg 0.063mg Popcorn
Phenylalanine 0.59mg 0.144mg Popcorn
Valine 0.607mg 0.164mg Popcorn
Histidine 0.367mg 0.063mg Popcorn
Fructose 0.07g Popcorn

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Popcorn Rice
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
16%
Popcorn
12%
Rice
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
72%
Popcorn
22%
Rice

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Rice
Rice is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.82g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Rice
Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 7mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Rice
Rice is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.56g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Rice
Rice is lower in glycemic index (difference - 2)
Which food is cheaper?
Popcorn
Popcorn is cheaper (difference - $1)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Popcorn
Popcorn is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Popcorn
Popcorn is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)

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. Popcorn - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167959/nutrients
  2. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168878/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.