Pasta vs. Cheddar Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cheddar Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cheddar cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and cheddar cheese:
- Both pasta and cheddar cheese are high in calories and protein.
- Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheddar 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 Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has a little more calories (9%) than pasta by weight - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cheddar cheese per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for cheddar cheese, 23:3:74 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 23% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 3% |
| Fat | 4% | 74% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and cheddar cheese has 95% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheddar cheese - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheddar cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Pasta and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.48g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and cheddar cheese are high in protein. Cheddar cheese has 75% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 22.9g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheddar cheese is high in saturated fat and pasta has 99% less saturated fat than cheddar cheese - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 18.9g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than cheddar cheese - cheddar cheese has 99mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - cheddar cheese has 337ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Cheddar cheese has more Vitamin D than pasta - cheddar cheese has 24iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.71mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and cheddar cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheddar cheese contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and cheddar cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Pasta | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.029 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.428 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.059 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.41 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 27 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.1 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cheddar cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 32 times more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 22 times more iron than cheddar cheese - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 193% more potassium than cheddar cheese - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 76mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) and DPA than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.114 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.001 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.01 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.017 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.142 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cheddar cheese has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Cheddar Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 1.171 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.036 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 1.207 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 Cheddar Cheese (Cheese, cheddar) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cheddar Cheese 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 cheddar cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and cheddar cheese are high in calories. Cheddar cheese has a little more calories ( 10%) than pasta by weight - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and cheddar cheese has 403 calories.
Does pasta or cheddar cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and cheddar cheese has 100% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and cheddar cheese has 3.4g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or cheddar cheese contain more calcium?
Cheddar cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 32 times more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 710mg of calcium.
Does pasta or cheddar cheese contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 22 times more iron than cheddar cheese - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and cheddar cheese has 0.14mg of iron.