Couscous vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
couscous
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and pasta:
- Both couscous and pasta are high in calories.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both couscous and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 231% more calories than couscous - couscous has 112 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, couscous is similar to pasta for protein, carbs and fat. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Couscous | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 85% | 82% |
| Fat | 2% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 69% less carbohydrates than pasta - couscous has 23.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 129% more dietary fiber than couscous - couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Couscous and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - couscous has 0.1g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 244% more protein than couscous - couscous has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both couscous and pasta are low in saturated fat - couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Couscous and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Couscous and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both couscous and pasta contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Couscous | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.063 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.371 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.051 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 237 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 163% more calcium than couscous - couscous has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 768% more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 284% more potassium than couscous - couscous has 58mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg 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 couscous and pasta contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Couscous | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 25 UG | 18 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.003 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.003 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.06 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 0.06 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.
Cooked Couscous 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 couscous or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both couscous and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 230% more calories than couscous - couscous has 112 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does couscous or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 70% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - couscous has 23.2g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does couscous or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 770% more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.