Pasta vs. Apple
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Apple
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
apple
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and apple:
- Both pasta and apple are high in dietary fiber.
- Pasta has 74% less sugar than apple.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Apple (Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and apple has 86% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and apple has 52 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to apple for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for apple, 2:96:3 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 2% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 96% |
| Fat | 4% | 3% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and apple has 82% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and apple are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 33% more dietary fiber than apple - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and apple has 2.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta has 74% less sugar than apple - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and apple has 10.4g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 49 times more protein than apple - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and apple has 0.26g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and apple are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and apple has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Apple has more Vitamin C than pasta - apple has 4.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Apple and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - apple has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and apple has 0.18mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and apple contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and apple has 2.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Pasta | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.026 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.091 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.041 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 3 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 250% more calcium than apple - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and apple has 6mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 26 times more iron than apple - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 108% more potassium than apple - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and apple has 107mg 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 apple contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Pasta | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 29 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 27 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than apple per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.009 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.009 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than apple per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Apple | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.043 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.043 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.
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Apple 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 apple contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and apple has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and apple has 52 calories.
Does pasta or apple have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and apple has 80% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and apple has 13.8g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or apple contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 26 times more iron than apple - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and apple has 0.12mg of iron.