Pasta vs. Parmesan Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Parmesan Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
parmesan cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and parmesan cheese:
- Both pasta and parmesan cheese are high in calories and protein.
- Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, parmesan cheese contains more Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and parmesan cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has a little more calories (6%) than pasta by weight - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 392 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to parmesan cheese per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for parmesan cheese, 38:3:59 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Parmesan Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 38% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 3% |
| Fat | 4% | 59% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and parmesan cheese has 96% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 3.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than parmesan cheese - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and parmesan cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Pasta and parmesan cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.11g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and parmesan cheese are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 174% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Parmesan cheese is high in saturated fat and pasta has 98% less saturated fat than parmesan cheese - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 14.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese has 68mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - parmesan cheese has 207ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Parmesan cheese has more Vitamin D than pasta - parmesan cheese has 19iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and parmesan cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.22mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and parmesan cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1.7ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, niacin and folate, however, parmesan cheese contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and parmesan cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Parmesan Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.039 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.332 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.271 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.453 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 7 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.2 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Parmesan cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 55 times more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 302% more iron than parmesan cheese - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 142% more potassium than parmesan cheese - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 92mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, parmesan cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Parmesan Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.297 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.297 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pasta and parmesan cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Pasta | Parmesan Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.272 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.272 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 Parmesan Cheese .
Note: The specific food items compared are: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Parmesan Cheese (Cheese, parmesan, hard) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Parmesan Cheese g
()
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 % |
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5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | magnesium | 5% |
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MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
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5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
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5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
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5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
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5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does pasta or parmesan cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and parmesan cheese are high in calories. Parmesan cheese has a little more calories ( 10%) than pasta by weight - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and parmesan cheese has 392 calories.
Is pasta or parmesan cheese better for protein?
Both pasta and parmesan cheese are high in protein. Parmesan cheese has 170% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 35.8g of protein.
Does pasta or parmesan cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and parmesan cheese has 100% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and parmesan cheese has 3.2g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or parmesan cheese contain more calcium?
Parmesan cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 55 times more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 1184mg of calcium.
Does pasta or parmesan cheese contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 300% more iron than parmesan cheese - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and parmesan cheese has 0.82mg of iron.