Couscous vs. Wheat Flour

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Wheat Flour


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked couscous versus wheat flour (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and wheat flour:

  • Both wheat flour and couscous are high in calories.
  • Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
  • Wheat flour is a great source of dietary fiber and protein.
  • Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron.
Detailed nutritional comparison of couscous and wheat flour is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Couscous src
Image of Wheat Flour src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both wheat flour and couscous are high in calories. Wheat flour has 222% more calories than couscous - wheat flour has 361 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, couscous is similar to wheat flour for protein, carbs and fat. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for wheat flour, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Couscous Wheat Flour
Protein 14% 14%
Carbohydrates 85% 82%
Fat 2% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 68% less carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Wheat flour is a great source of dietary fiber and it has 71% more dietary fiber than couscous - wheat flour has 2.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of sugar - wheat flour has 0.31g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 216% more protein than couscous - wheat flour has 12g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both wheat flour and couscous are low in saturated fat - wheat flour has 0.24g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - wheat flour has 0.6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - wheat flour has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - wheat flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both couscous and wheat flour contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.

Couscous Wheat Flour
Thiamin 0.063 MG 0.812 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.512 MG
Niacin 0.983 MG 7.554 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.371 MG 0.438 MG
Vitamin B6 0.051 MG 0.037 MG
Folate 15 UG 183 UG

Minerals

calcium

Wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of calcium - wheat flour has 15mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than couscous - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Wheat flour has 72% more potassium than couscous - wheat flour has 100mg of potassium per 100 grams and couscous has 58mg 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,

Couscous Wheat Flour
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG 79 UG
beta-carotene ~ 1 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat flour has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.

Couscous Wheat Flour
alpha linoleic acid 0.003 G 0.043 G
Total 0.003 G 0.043 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat flour has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.

Couscous Wheat Flour
linoleic acid 0.06 G 0.685 G
Total 0.06 G 0.685 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 Couscous or Wheat Flour .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, white, bread, enriched) .

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FAQ

Does wheat flour or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both wheat flour and couscous are high in calories. Wheat flour has 220% more calories than couscous - wheat flour has 361 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.

Does wheat flour or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 70% fewer carbohydrates than wheat flour - wheat flour has 72.5g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

Does wheat flour or couscous contain more iron?
Wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 10 times more iron than couscous - wheat flour has 4.4mg of iron in 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

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