Pasta vs. Bacon

Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cooked Bacon


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and bacon:

  • Both bacon and pasta are high in calories.
  • Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, bacon contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Pasta is a great source of potassium.
  • Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
Detailed nutritional comparison of pasta and bacon 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Pasta src
Image of Bacon src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bacon and pasta are high in calories. Bacon has 142% more calories than pasta - bacon has 898 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to bacon per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for bacon, 0:0:100 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Pasta Bacon
Protein 14% ~
Carbohydrates 82% ~
Fat 4% 100%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Pasta is high in carbohydrates and bacon has less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

dietary fiber

Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than bacon - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

sugar

Bacon has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 185 times more protein than bacon - bacon has 0.07g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Bacon is high in saturated fat and pasta has 99% less saturated fat than bacon - bacon has 32g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Pasta has less cholesterol than bacon - bacon has 97mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Bacon has more Vitamin A than pasta - bacon has 11ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Pasta and bacon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Pasta and bacon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and bacon does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, bacon contains more Vitamin B12.

Pasta Bacon
Thiamin 0.891 MG 0.004 MG
Riboflavin 0.4 MG 0.015 MG
Niacin 7.177 MG 0.725 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.431 MG 0.007 MG
Vitamin B6 0.142 MG 0.005 MG
Folate 237 UG ~
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.09 UG

Minerals

calcium

Pasta has 20 times more calcium than bacon - bacon has 1mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.

iron

Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 24 times more iron than bacon - bacon has 0.13mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 13 times more potassium than bacon - bacon has 15mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Pasta Bacon
alpha linoleic acid 0.024 G 0.476 G
Total 0.024 G 0.476 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, bacon has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.

Pasta Bacon
linoleic acid 0.54 G 9.426 G
other omega 6 ~ 0.442 G
Total 0.54 G 9.868 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.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Bacon (Pork, bacon, rendered fat, cooked) .

Pasta g

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does bacon or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bacon and pasta are high in calories. Bacon has 140% more calories than pasta - bacon has 898 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.

Does pasta or bacon have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and bacon has fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and bacon has no carbs..

Does bacon or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 24 times more iron than bacon - bacon has 0.13mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.