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Spaghetti vs. Couscous — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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Significant differences between Spaghetti and Couscous

  • Spaghetti has more Manganese, Copper, and Phosphorus, however, Couscous is richer in Vitamin B5.
  • Couscous has 3 times less Phosphorus than Spaghetti. Spaghetti has 58mg of Phosphorus, while Couscous has 22mg.

Specific food types used in this comparison are Pasta, cooked, unenriched, without added salt and Couscous, cooked.

Infographic

Spaghetti 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.
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 13% 2.1% 3.9% 19% 33% 14% 25% 0.13% 42% 144%
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 +125%
Contains more IronIron +31.6%
Contains more CopperCopper +143.9%
Contains more ZincZinc +96.2%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +163.6%
Contains less SodiumSodium -80%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +283.3%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +14.3%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +31.8%
~equal in Selenium ~27.5µg

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% 0% 1.2% 0% 5% 4.6% 7.5% 6.7% 11% 0% 0% 5.3% 3.5%
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% 0% 2.6% 0% 16% 6.2% 18% 22% 12% 0% 0.25% 11% 1.8%
Contains more CholineCholine +93.9%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +116.7%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +215%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +35%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +145.8%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +231.3%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +114.3%
~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg
~equal in Vitamin A ~0IU
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0.051mg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
6% 31% 62%
Protein: 5.8 g
Fats: 0.93 g
Carbs: 30.86 g
Water: 62.13 g
Other: 0.28 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 ProteinProtein +53%
Contains more FatsFats +481.3%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +32.9%
Contains more WaterWater +16.8%
~equal in Other ~0.26g

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
28% 21% 52%
Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 0.176 g
Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 0.131 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.326 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 +495.5%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +409.4%
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat -83.5%

Comparison summary table

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

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Spaghetti Couscous Opinion
Calories 158kcal 112kcal Spaghetti
Protein 5.8g 3.79g Spaghetti
Fats 0.93g 0.16g Spaghetti
Net carbs 29.06g 21.82g Spaghetti
Carbs 30.86g 23.22g Spaghetti
Magnesium 18mg 8mg Spaghetti
Calcium 7mg 8mg Couscous
Potassium 44mg 58mg Couscous
Iron 0.5mg 0.38mg Spaghetti
Sugar 0.56g 0.1g Couscous
Fiber 1.8g 1.4g Spaghetti
Copper 0.1mg 0.041mg Spaghetti
Zinc 0.51mg 0.26mg Spaghetti
Starch 26.01g Spaghetti
Phosphorus 58mg 22mg Spaghetti
Sodium 1mg 5mg Spaghetti
Vitamin E 0.06mg 0.13mg Couscous
Manganese 0.322mg 0.084mg Spaghetti
Selenium 26.4µg 27.5µg Couscous
Vitamin B1 0.02mg 0.063mg Couscous
Vitamin B2 0.02mg 0.027mg Couscous
Vitamin B3 0.4mg 0.983mg Couscous
Vitamin B5 0.112mg 0.371mg Couscous
Vitamin B6 0.049mg 0.051mg Couscous
Vitamin K 0µg 0.1µg Couscous
Folate 7µg 15µg Couscous
Choline 6.4mg 3.3mg Spaghetti
Saturated Fat 0.176g 0.029g Couscous
Monounsaturated Fat 0.131g 0.022g Spaghetti
Polyunsaturated fat 0.326g 0.064g Spaghetti
Tryptophan 0.083mg 0.049mg Spaghetti
Threonine 0.206mg 0.1mg Spaghetti
Isoleucine 0.228mg 0.147mg Spaghetti
Leucine 0.44mg 0.259mg Spaghetti
Lysine 0.133mg 0.073mg Spaghetti
Methionine 0.065mg 0.059mg Spaghetti
Phenylalanine 0.297mg 0.184mg Spaghetti
Valine 0.262mg 0.162mg Spaghetti
Histidine 0.132mg 0.077mg Spaghetti
Fructose 0.03g Spaghetti
Omega-3 - ALA 0.024g Spaghetti

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Spaghetti Couscous
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
3%
Spaghetti
7%
Couscous
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
30%
Spaghetti
22%
Couscous

Comparison summary

Which food contains less Sodium?
Spaghetti
Spaghetti contains less Sodium (difference - 4mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is lower in glycemic index (difference - 16)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Sugar (difference - 0.46g)
Which food is lower in Saturated Fat?
Couscous
Couscous is lower in Saturated Fat (difference - 0.147g)
Which food is cheaper?
Couscous
Couscous is cheaper (difference - $0.3)
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. Spaghetti - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168928/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.