Foodstruct Nutrition Search | Diet Analysis | Food Comparison | Glycemic Index Chart | Insulin Index Chart | Blog | Subscribe | Sign Up

Rice vs. Pasta — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

Compare

How are Rice and Pasta different?

  • Rice is higher in Manganese, however, Pasta is richer in Vitamin B1, Folate, Iron, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B12.
  • Daily need coverage for Vitamin B1 from Pasta is 16% higher.
  • Rice contains 2 times more Manganese than Pasta. While Rice contains 0.472mg of Manganese, Pasta contains only 0.224mg.

Rice, white, long-grain, regular, unenriched, cooked without salt and Pasta, fresh-refrigerated, plain, cooked are the varieties used in this article.

Infographic

Rice vs Pasta 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
5
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%
Pasta
5
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%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +66.7%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +45.8%
Contains less SodiumSodium -83.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +110.7%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +50%
Contains more IronIron +470%
Contains more CopperCopper +34.8%
Contains more ZincZinc +14.3%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +46.5%

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.
Rice
4
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%
Pasta
6
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% 1.2% 0% 0% 52% 35% 19% 11% 7.8% 18% 0% 48% 0%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +113.1%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +173.5%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +945%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +1053.8%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +148%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12 +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +2033.3%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin D ~µg
~equal in Vitamin K ~µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Rice
2
3% 28% 68%
Protein: 2.69 g
Fats: 0.28 g
Carbs: 28.17 g
Water: 68.44 g
Other: 0.42 g
Pasta
3
5% 25% 69%
Protein: 5.15 g
Fats: 1.05 g
Carbs: 24.93 g
Water: 68.56 g
Other: 0.31 g
Contains more CarbsCarbs +13%
Contains more OtherOther +35.5%
Contains more ProteinProtein +91.4%
Contains more FatsFats +275%
~equal in Water ~68.56g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
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
Pasta
2
21% 18% 61%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.15 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.124 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.429 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -48.7%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat +40.9%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +464.5%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Rice Pasta Opinion
Calories 130kcal 131kcal Pasta
Protein 2.69g 5.15g Pasta
Fats 0.28g 1.05g Pasta
Net carbs 27.77g 24.93g Rice
Carbs 28.17g 24.93g Rice
Cholesterol 0mg 33mg Rice
Magnesium 12mg 18mg Pasta
Calcium 10mg 6mg Rice
Potassium 35mg 24mg Rice
Iron 0.2mg 1.14mg Pasta
Sugar 0.05g Pasta
Fiber 0.4g Rice
Copper 0.069mg 0.093mg Pasta
Zinc 0.49mg 0.56mg Pasta
Phosphorus 43mg 63mg Pasta
Sodium 1mg 6mg Rice
Vitamin A 0IU 20IU Pasta
Vitamin A 0µg 6µg Pasta
Vitamin E 0.04mg Rice
Manganese 0.472mg 0.224mg Rice
Selenium 7.5µg Rice
Vitamin B1 0.02mg 0.209mg Pasta
Vitamin B2 0.013mg 0.15mg Pasta
Vitamin B3 0.4mg 0.992mg Pasta
Vitamin B5 0.39mg 0.183mg Rice
Vitamin B6 0.093mg 0.034mg Rice
Vitamin B12 0µg 0.14µg Pasta
Folate 3µg 64µg Pasta
Choline 2.1mg Rice
Saturated Fat 0.077g 0.15g Rice
Monounsaturated Fat 0.088g 0.124g Pasta
Polyunsaturated fat 0.076g 0.429g Pasta
Tryptophan 0.031mg 0.065mg Pasta
Threonine 0.096mg 0.134mg Pasta
Isoleucine 0.116mg 0.197mg Pasta
Leucine 0.222mg 0.348mg Pasta
Lysine 0.097mg 0.097mg
Methionine 0.063mg 0.079mg Pasta
Phenylalanine 0.144mg 0.247mg Pasta
Valine 0.164mg 0.217mg Pasta
Histidine 0.063mg 0.103mg Pasta

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Rice Pasta
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
15%
Pasta
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
18%
Rice
16%
Pasta

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Rice
Rice is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Rice
Rice contains less Sodium (difference - 5mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Rice
Rice is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.073g)
Which food is cheaper?
Rice
Rice is cheaper (difference - $2)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.05g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Pasta
Pasta is lower in glycemic index (difference - 11)
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.
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. Rice - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169757/nutrients
  2. Pasta - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169728/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.