Pasta vs. Cauliflower
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cauliflower
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cauliflower
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and cauliflower:
- Both pasta and cauliflower are high in potassium.
- Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and cauliflower has 93% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and cauliflower has 25 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to cauliflower per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for cauliflower, 25:66:9 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Cauliflower | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 66% |
| Fat | 4% | 9% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and cauliflower has 93% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and cauliflower has 5g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 60% more dietary fiber than cauliflower - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cauliflower has 2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and cauliflower contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and cauliflower has 1.9g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 579% more protein than cauliflower - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and cauliflower has 1.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and cauliflower are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.13g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than pasta - cauliflower has 48.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and cauliflower contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.08mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and cauliflower contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cauliflower has 15.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and cauliflower contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Cauliflower | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.05 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.06 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.507 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.667 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.184 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 57 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and cauliflower contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and cauliflower has 22mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 686% more iron than cauliflower - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.42mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and cauliflower are high in potassium. Cauliflower has 34% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and cauliflower has 299mg 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 cauliflower contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Pasta | Cauliflower | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 1 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both pasta and cauliflower contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Cauliflower | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.015 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.015 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than cauliflower per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Cauliflower | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.016 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.003 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.019 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).
You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Pasta or Cauliflower .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Cauliflower (Cauliflower, raw) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cauliflower 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 cauliflower contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and cauliflower has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and cauliflower has 25 calories.
Does pasta or cauliflower have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and cauliflower has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and cauliflower has 5g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or cauliflower contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 690% more iron than cauliflower - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and cauliflower has 0.42mg of iron.
Does pasta or cauliflower contain more potassium?
Both pasta and cauliflower are high in potassium. Cauliflower has 30% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and cauliflower has 299mg of potassium.