Beef vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Beef and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
beef
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in beef and pasta:
- Both beef and pasta are high in calories, iron, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, beef contains more Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Beef (Beef, ground, 70% lean meat / 30% fat, patty, cooked, broiled) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both beef and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 34% more calories than beef - beef has 277 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, beef is much heavier in protein, much lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to pasta per calorie. Beef has a macronutrient ratio of 38:0:62 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Beef | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 38% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | ~ | 82% |
| Fat | 62% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and beef has less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than beef - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Beef has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and beef does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both beef and pasta are high in protein. Beef has 95% more protein than pasta - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Beef is high in saturated fat and pasta has 96% less saturated fat than beef - beef has 7.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Pasta has less trans fat than beef - beef has 1.2g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than beef - beef has 88mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Beef and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - beef has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Beef and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin D - beef has 2iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Beef and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - beef has 0.12mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Beef and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - beef has 3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, beef contains more Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both beef and pasta contain significant amounts of niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Beef | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.051 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.176 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 4.537 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.658 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.336 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 11 UG | 237 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.9 UG | ~ |
Minerals
calcium
Beef has 67% more calcium than pasta - beef has 35mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Both beef and pasta are high in iron. Pasta has 47% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both beef and pasta are high in potassium. Beef has 23% more potassium than pasta - beef has 275mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, beef has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Beef | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.056 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.056 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both beef and pasta contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Beef | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.012 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.39 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 0.402 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 Beef 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 beef or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both beef and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 30% more calories than beef - beef has 277 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Is beef or pasta better for protein?
Both beef and pasta are high in protein. Beef has 100% more protein than pasta - beef has 25.4g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Does pasta or beef have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and beef has fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and beef has no carbs..
Does beef or pasta contain more iron?
Both beef and pasta are high in iron. Pasta has 50% more iron than beef - beef has 2.3mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does beef or pasta contain more potassium?
Both beef and pasta are high in potassium. Beef has 20% more potassium than pasta - beef has 275mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.