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Rice vs. Couscous — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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The main differences between Rice and Couscous

  • Rice is richer in Manganese, yet Couscous is richer in Selenium.
  • Daily need coverage for Selenium from Couscous is 36% higher.
  • Rice contains 6 times more Manganese than Couscous. Rice contains 0.472mg of Manganese, while Couscous contains 0.084mg.

Food types used in this article are Rice, white, long-grain, regular, unenriched, cooked without salt and Couscous, cooked.

Infographic

Rice vs Couscous 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.
Rice
7
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% 7.5% 23% 13% 18% 0.13% 62% 41%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 5.7% 2.4% 5.1% 14% 14% 7.1% 9.4% 0.65% 11% 150%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +50%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +25%
Contains more CopperCopper +68.3%
Contains more ZincZinc +88.5%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +95.5%
Contains less SodiumSodium -80%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +461.9%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +65.7%
Contains more IronIron +90%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +266.7%

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.
Rice
1
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% 5% 3% 7.5% 23% 21% 0% 0% 2.3% 1.1%
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% 2.6% 0% 16% 6.2% 18% 22% 12% 0% 0.25% 11% 1.8%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +82.4%
Contains more Vitamin E Vitamin E +225%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +107.7%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +400%
Contains more CholineCholine +57.1%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~0IU
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0.371mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Rice
3
3% 28% 68%
Protein: 2.69 g
Fats: 0.28 g
Carbs: 28.17 g
Water: 68.44 g
Other: 0.42 g
4% 23% 73%
Protein: 3.79 g
Fats: 0.16 g
Carbs: 23.22 g
Water: 72.57 g
Other: 0.26 g
Contains more FatsFats +75%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +21.3%
Contains more OtherOther +61.5%
Contains more ProteinProtein +40.9%
~equal in Water ~72.57g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Rice
2
32% 37% 32%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.077 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.088 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.076 g
25% 19% 56%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.029 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.022 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.064 g
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +300%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +18.8%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -62.3%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Rice Couscous Opinion
Calories 130kcal 112kcal Rice
Protein 2.69g 3.79g Couscous
Fats 0.28g 0.16g Rice
Net carbs 27.77g 21.82g Rice
Carbs 28.17g 23.22g Rice
Magnesium 12mg 8mg Rice
Calcium 10mg 8mg Rice
Potassium 35mg 58mg Couscous
Iron 0.2mg 0.38mg Couscous
Sugar 0.05g 0.1g Rice
Fiber 0.4g 1.4g Couscous
Copper 0.069mg 0.041mg Rice
Zinc 0.49mg 0.26mg Rice
Phosphorus 43mg 22mg Rice
Sodium 1mg 5mg Rice
Vitamin E 0.04mg 0.13mg Couscous
Manganese 0.472mg 0.084mg Rice
Selenium 7.5µg 27.5µg Couscous
Vitamin B1 0.02mg 0.063mg Couscous
Vitamin B2 0.013mg 0.027mg Couscous
Vitamin B3 0.4mg 0.983mg Couscous
Vitamin B5 0.39mg 0.371mg Rice
Vitamin B6 0.093mg 0.051mg Rice
Vitamin K 0µg 0.1µg Couscous
Folate 3µg 15µg Couscous
Choline 2.1mg 3.3mg Couscous
Saturated Fat 0.077g 0.029g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.088g 0.022g Rice
Polyunsaturated fat 0.076g 0.064g Rice
Tryptophan 0.031mg 0.049mg Couscous
Threonine 0.096mg 0.1mg Couscous
Isoleucine 0.116mg 0.147mg Couscous
Leucine 0.222mg 0.259mg Couscous
Lysine 0.097mg 0.073mg Rice
Methionine 0.063mg 0.059mg Rice
Phenylalanine 0.144mg 0.184mg Couscous
Valine 0.164mg 0.162mg Rice
Histidine 0.063mg 0.077mg Couscous

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Rice Couscous
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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
5%
Rice
7%
Couscous
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
18%
Rice
22%
Couscous

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Rice
Rice is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.05g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Rice
Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Rice
Rice is lower in glycemic index (difference - 5)
Which food is cheaper?
Rice
Rice is cheaper (difference - $0.3)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.048g)
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Couscous
Couscous is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
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.

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. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169757/nutrients
  2. Couscous - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169700/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.