Cornmeal vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of Cornmeal and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cornmeal
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cornmeal and pasta:
- Both cornmeal and pasta are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, cornmeal contains more Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cornmeal (Cornmeal, yellow (Navajo)) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in calories. Cornmeal has a little more calories (4%) than pasta by weight - cornmeal has 384 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cornmeal is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to pasta per calorie. Cornmeal has a macronutrient ratio of 10:76:14 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cornmeal | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 76% | 82% |
| Fat | 14% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in carbohydrates. Cornmeal is very similar to cornmeal for carbohydrates - cornmeal has 72.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Cornmeal has 194% more dietary fiber than pasta - cornmeal has 9.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cornmeal and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - cornmeal has 1.6g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in protein. Pasta has 32% more protein than cornmeal - cornmeal has 9.9g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cornmeal and pasta contain similar amounts of saturated fat - cornmeal has 1g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Cornmeal and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - cornmeal has 0.37mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cornmeal and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cornmeal has 0.2ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, cornmeal contains more Vitamin B6. Both cornmeal and pasta contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Cornmeal | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.3 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.093 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 2.47 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.595 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.59 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 34 UG | 237 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 250% more calcium than cornmeal - cornmeal has 6mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in iron. Cornmeal is very similar to cornmeal for iron - cornmeal has 3mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in potassium. Cornmeal has 44% more potassium than pasta - cornmeal has 322mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cornmeal has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Cornmeal | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.06 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.06 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cornmeal has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.
| Cornmeal | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.033 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 2.292 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 2.325 G | 0.54 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.
Cornmeal g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Pasta 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 cornmeal or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cornmeal and pasta are high in calories. Cornmeal has a little more calories ( 0%) than pasta by weight - cornmeal has 384 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does cornmeal or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both cornmeal and pasta are high in carbohydrates. cornmeal is very similar to cornmeal for carbohydrates - cornmeal has 72.9g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does cornmeal or pasta contain more iron?
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in iron. Cornmeal is very similar to cornmeal for iron - cornmeal has 3mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does cornmeal or pasta contain more potassium?
Both cornmeal and pasta are high in potassium. Cornmeal has 40% more potassium than pasta - cornmeal has 322mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.