Pasta vs. Russet Potato
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Russet Potato
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
russet potato
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and russet potato:
- Both pasta and russet potato are high in potassium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, russet potato contains more Vitamin B6.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (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 russet potato has 79% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and russet potato has 79 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in carbs and similar to russet potato for protein and fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for russet potato, 11:89:1 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 89% |
| Fat | 4% | 1% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and russet potato has 76% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 146% more dietary fiber than russet potato - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and russet potato contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 509% more protein than russet potato - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and russet potato has 2.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and russet potato are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Russet potato has more Vitamin C than pasta - russet potato has 5.7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Russet potato and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - russet potato has 0.3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and russet potato contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and russet potato has 1.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate, however, russet potato contains more Vitamin B6. Both pasta and russet potato contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Pasta | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.082 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.033 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 1.035 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.301 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.345 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 14 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 62% more calcium than russet potato - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and russet potato has 13mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 284% more iron than russet potato - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 87% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg 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 russet potato contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Pasta | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 5 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than russet potato per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.01 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.01 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than russet potato per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Russet Potato | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.032 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.032 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 Russet Potato (Potatoes, russet, flesh and skin, raw (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program)) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Russet Potato 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 russet potato contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and russet potato has 80% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and russet potato has 79 calories.
Does pasta or russet potato have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and russet potato has 80% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and russet potato has 18.1g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or russet potato contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 280% more iron than russet potato - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and russet potato has 0.86mg of iron.
Does pasta or russet potato contain more potassium?
Both pasta and russet potato are high in potassium. Russet potato has 90% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and russet potato has 417mg of potassium.