Arepas vs. Pupusas — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison
Summary
In short, arepas are cornbreads popular in Venezuela and Colombia. Pupusas are also corn pancakes but originate from El Salvador and Honduras.
Pupusas are usually flatter, larger, and stuffed and sealed before cooking, unlike arepas.
Arepas are considerably higher in carbohydrates due to net carbs. Stuffed pupusas with pork, beans, or cheese are richer in protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Table of contents
Introduction
Pupusas and arepas are often compared with each other as they share a lot of similarities and can be found in many cuisines around the world. Both of these Latin American foods can generally be described as corn pancakes or flatbreads cooked on a griddle; however, they originate in different cultures and can vary in taste, use, and nutrition.
Origin and Preparation
Arepas are savory cakes made from cornmeal, usually eaten in northern parts of South America, predominantly in Colombia and Venezuela. Pupusas originate in Central America, particularly in El Salvador and Honduras, and can be made not only from cornmeal but also from rice flour. Hence, both are popular traditional dishes across Latin America.
Arepas are made using a specific precooked corn flour called Masarepa. On the other hand, pupusas are made from more digestible instant corn masa flour (Masa Harina). Besides the flour, the other two main ingredients for these flatbreads are just salt and water.
Appearance
Pupusas are usually flatter and larger in diameter compared to arepas. Arepas can slightly resemble burgers when sliced and stuffed with fillings, while pupusas are usually sealed.
Taste and Use
Pupusas are stuffed with various savory fillings before cooking, while arepas are sliced and stuffed after cooking the dough. Popular recipes include fillings such as cheese, pork, beef, beans, vegetables, and more.
At the same time, Colombian arepas can be eaten without fillings or stuffed before cooking, like pupusas.
Pupusas are most commonly served with curtido – a fermented cabbage slaw. However, depending on the recipes and preferences, they both can be consumed as a snack, a dessert, or a main. Arepas and pupusas are also commonly served with sauces or salsa.
Nutrition
Naturally, the nutrition of these flatbreads will differ depending on what they’re made from and what they’re consumed with.
The nutritional information below is presented for plain arepa (unleavened cornmeal bread) and pupusas with pork. As pupusas are stuffed before cooking, it is difficult to look at the nutrition of the pupusa dough alone. However, we will also look at the nutritional content of pupusas filled with cheese and beans and take into consideration what the stuffings add in terms of nutrition (1, 2).
Macronutrients and Calories
One piece of arepa is roughly 98g, while stuffed pupusa weighs a little more – 122g per piece of pupusa with pork, 126g per piece of pupusa with beans, and 117g per piece of pupusa with cheese.
Below we will compare equal 100g servings of each food.
Calories
Arepas and pupusas are both high-calorie foods; however, pupusas generally contain more calories.
A 100g serving of arepa provides 219 calories. The same servings of pupusas with pork, beans, and cheese contain 232, 229, and 256 calories, respectively. Thus, pupusa with cheese is considerably higher in calories, while pupusa with beans is similar in calories to plain arepa.
Protein and Fats
Arepas consist of approximately 5% fats and 5% protein. Pupusa with pork provides double the amount of both protein and fats due to the contained meat.
Pupusa with beans consists of around 6% protein and 9% fat, while pupusa with cheese provides 12% protein and 13% fat.
Naturally, plain arepas and pupusa with beans contain no cholesterol. Pupusas with pork or cheese provide around 30mg of cholesterol per 100g serving.
Carbohydrates
Arepa is considerably higher in carbohydrates compared to pupusa, mostly due to net carbs. Arepa and pupusa contain the same amount of dietary fiber.
While pork and cheese do not add a notable number of carbohydrates to pupusas, beans do. However, plain arepas are still higher in carbohydrates than pupusa with beans.
Pupusa with beans provides almost double the amount of fiber compared to arepa or pupusa with pork or cheese.
Vitamins
The added stuffings of pork, cheese, or beans make pupusa richer in most vitamins compared to arepa.
Vitamin Comparison
Contains
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Vitamin CVitamin C
+∞%
Contains
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Vitamin EVitamin E
+20.7%
Contains
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Vitamin DVitamin D
+∞%
Contains
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Vitamin B1Vitamin B1
+18.6%
Contains
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Vitamin B2Vitamin B2
+107.1%
Contains
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Vitamin B3Vitamin B3
+167.2%
Contains
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Vitamin B5Vitamin B5
+216.8%
Contains
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Vitamin B6Vitamin B6
+115%
Contains
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Vitamin B12Vitamin B12
+∞%
Contains
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FolateFolate
+∞%
Contains
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CholineCholine
+772.7%
Contains
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Vitamin AVitamin A
+153.6%
Contains
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Vitamin KVitamin K
+218.2%
Minerals
Similar to vitamins, stuffed pupusas are richer in most minerals than arepa. However, a plain arepa is usually higher in calcium and lower in sodium. Arepa is also an excellent source of phosphorus and iron.
Mineral Comparison
Contains
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MagnesiumMagnesium
+40.7%
Contains
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PotassiumPotassium
+189.8%
Contains
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CopperCopper
+116.7%
Contains
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ZincZinc
+102.5%
Contains
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PhosphorusPhosphorus
+38.5%
Contains
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ManganeseManganese
+37.1%
Contains
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SeleniumSelenium
+191.8%
Contains
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CalciumCalcium
+81.6%
Contains
less
SodiumSodium
-36.6%
Glycemic Index
Arepas have been researched to have a low to medium glycemic index value, depending on the type of flour used, falling in the range of 55 to 72 (3).
An exact number has not yet been researched for the glycemic index of pupusas; however, it can be assumed to be lower than arepa’s value due to a low net carbs content.
Acidity
One way to understand the acidity of foods is through their potential renal acid load (PRAL) value, which shows how much acid or base the given food produces inside the organism.
PRAL values for arepas and pork pupusas are 3.3 and 4.7, respectively, which means both dishes are acidic.
Weight Loss & Diets
As discussed above, both arepas and pupusas are high-calorie foods with over 200 calories per serving. Although they are quite nutritious, watching the portion sizes during weight loss diets is recommended, as calories can add up quickly.
Since arepas and pupusas are made from corn, they are naturally gluten-free and safe for gluten-free diets. However, check before consumption as many gluten-free products often have wheat flour added, making them unsafe for the diet.
References
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167662/nutrients
- https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167661/nutrients
- https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/114/5/1625/6320814
Infographic
Macronutrient Comparison
| Contains more ProteinProtein | +110% |
| Contains more FatsFats | +93.9% |
| Contains more OtherOther | +60% |
| Contains more CarbsCarbs | +61.3% |
Fat Type Comparison
| Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat | +161.8% |
| Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat | +123% |
Carbohydrate type comparison
| Contains more StarchStarch | +∞% |
| Contains more SucroseSucrose | +15.2% |
| Contains more GlucoseGlucose | +∞% |
| Contains more FructoseFructose | +∞% |
Comparison summary table
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| Rich in minerals |
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| Lower in Glycemic Index |
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| Rich in vitamins |
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| Lower in Cholesterol |
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| Lower in Sugar |
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| Lower in Sodium |
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| Lower in Saturated Fat |
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| Lower in price | Equal | ||
All nutrients comparison - raw data values
| Nutrient | |
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Opinion |
| Calories | 232kcal | 219kcal |
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| Protein | 11.51g | 5.48g |
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| Fats | 10.43g | 5.38g |
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| Vitamin C | 0.1mg |
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| Net carbs | 20.42g | 34.54g |
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| Carbs | 23.02g | 37.14g |
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| Cholesterol | 29mg | 5mg |
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| Vitamin D | 28IU |
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| Magnesium | 38mg | 27mg |
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| Calcium | 49mg | 89mg |
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| Potassium | 255mg | 88mg |
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| Iron | 1.01mg | 1.04mg |
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| Sugar | 1.45g | 0.87g |
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| Fiber | 2.6g | 2.6g | |
| Copper | 0.065mg | 0.03mg |
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| Zinc | 1.62mg | 0.8mg |
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| Starch | 18.98g |
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| Phosphorus | 162mg | 117mg |
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| Sodium | 426mg | 270mg |
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| Vitamin A | 84IU | 213IU |
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| Vitamin A | 10µg | 61µg |
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| Vitamin E | 0.35mg | 0.29mg |
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| Vitamin D | 0.7µg |
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| Manganese | 0.159mg | 0.116mg |
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| Selenium | 17.8µg | 6.1µg |
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| Vitamin B1 | 0.083mg | 0.07mg |
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| Vitamin B2 | 0.087mg | 0.042mg |
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| Vitamin B3 | 2.373mg | 0.888mg |
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| Vitamin B5 | 0.64mg | 0.202mg |
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| Vitamin B6 | 0.23mg | 0.107mg |
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| Vitamin B12 | 0.28µg | 0µg |
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| Vitamin K | 1.1µg | 3.5µg |
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| Folate | 4µg |
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| Trans Fat | 0.083g | 0.157g |
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| Choline | 38.4mg | 4.4mg |
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| Saturated Fat | 3.166g | 2.902g |
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| Monounsaturated Fat | 3.964g | 1.514g |
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| Polyunsaturated fat | 2.205g | 0.989g |
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| Tryptophan | 0.121mg | 0.048mg |
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| Threonine | 0.46mg | 0.193mg |
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| Isoleucine | 0.456mg | 0.207mg |
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| Leucine | 0.976mg | 0.671mg |
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| Lysine | 0.784mg | 0.228mg |
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| Methionine | 0.268mg | 0.131mg |
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| Phenylalanine | 0.463mg | 0.276mg |
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| Valine | 0.531mg | 0.276mg |
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| Histidine | 0.354mg | 0.166mg |
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| Fructose | 0.33g | 0g |
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| Omega-3 - EPA | 0.004g | 0.003g |
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| Omega-3 - DHA | 0.003g | 0g |
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| Omega-3 - ALA | 0.087g | 0.065g |
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| Omega-3 - DPA | 0.006g | 0.003g |
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| Omega-3 - Eicosatrienoic acid | 0.007g | 0g |
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| Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid | 0.003g | 0.002g |
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| Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid | 0.01g | 0.005g |
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| Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid | 0.045g | 0.003g |
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| Omega-6 - Linoleic acid | 1.95g | 0.825g |
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Which food is preferable for your diet?
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| Low Calories diet |
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| Low Fats diet |
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| Low Carbs diet |
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| Low Glycemic Index diet |
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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
Comparison summary
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.
- Pupusas - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167663/nutrients
- Arepa - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168070/nutrients
All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.