Pasta vs. Banana
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Banana
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
banana
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and banana:
- Both pasta and banana are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than pasta.
- Pasta has 3.5 times less sugar than banana.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, banana contains more Vitamin B6.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Banana (Bananas, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and banana has 76% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and banana has 89 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to banana for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for banana, 5:93:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 93% |
| Fat | 4% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and banana has 69% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and banana are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 23% more dietary fiber than banana - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and banana has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta has 3.5 times less sugar than banana - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and banana has 12.2g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 10 times more protein than banana - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and banana has 1.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and banana are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and banana has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Banana has signficantly more Vitamin C than pasta - banana has 8.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Banana and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - banana has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and banana has 0.1mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and banana contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and banana has 0.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, banana contains more Vitamin B6. Both pasta and banana contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Pasta | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.031 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.073 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.665 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.334 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.367 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 20 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 320% more calcium than banana - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and banana has 5mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than banana - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 61% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
carotenoids
Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]
For specific types of carotenoids, both pasta and banana contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Pasta | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 22 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 26 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both pasta and banana contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.027 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.027 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than banana per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Banana | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.046 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.046 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Banana g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does pasta or banana contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and banana has 80% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and banana has 89 calories.
Does pasta or banana have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and banana has 70% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and banana has 22.8g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or banana contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than banana - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and banana has 0.26mg of iron.
Does pasta or banana contain more potassium?
Both pasta and banana are high in potassium. Banana has 60% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and banana has 358mg of potassium.