Pasta vs. Broccoli
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Broccoli
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
broccoli
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and broccoli:
- Both pasta and broccoli are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and calcium.
- Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Broccoli (Broccoli, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and broccoli has 91% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and broccoli has 34 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and similar to broccoli for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for broccoli, 28:65:7 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 65% |
| Fat | 4% | 7% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and broccoli has 91% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and broccoli are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 23% more dietary fiber than broccoli - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and broccoli contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and broccoli has 1.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 362% more protein than broccoli - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and broccoli has 2.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and broccoli are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.11g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Broccoli is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than pasta - broccoli has 89.2mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Broccoli has more Vitamin A than pasta - broccoli has 31ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and broccoli contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.78mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Broccoli is a great source of Vitamin K and it has 1015 times more Vitamin K than pasta - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and broccoli has 101.6ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and broccoli contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.071 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.117 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.639 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.573 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.175 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 63 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Broccoli is a great source of calcium and it has 124% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and broccoli has 47mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 352% more iron than broccoli - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and broccoli are high in potassium. Broccoli has 42% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg 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,
| Pasta | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 1403 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 361 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both pasta and broccoli contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.0215 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.0215 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than broccoli per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Broccoli | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.049 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.006 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.055 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 (%) |
Broccoli 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 broccoli contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and broccoli has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and broccoli has 34 calories.
Does pasta or broccoli have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and broccoli has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and broccoli has 6.6g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or broccoli contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 350% more iron than broccoli - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and broccoli has 0.73mg of iron.
Does pasta or broccoli contain more potassium?
Both pasta and broccoli are high in potassium. Broccoli has 40% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and broccoli has 316mg of potassium.