Pasta vs. Vanilla Ice Cream

Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Vanilla Ice Cream


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and vanilla ice cream:

  • Both vanilla ice cream and pasta are high in calories.
  • Pasta has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, vanilla ice cream contains more Vitamin B12.
  • Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
  • Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A.
  • Vanilla ice cream is an excellent source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of pasta and vanilla ice cream 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 Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Pasta src
Image of Vanilla Ice Cream src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both vanilla ice cream and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 79% more calories than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 207 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 vanilla ice cream per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for vanilla ice cream, 7:46:48 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Pasta Vanilla Ice Cream
Protein 14% 7%
Carbohydrates 82% 46%
Fat 4% 48%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Pasta is high in carbohydrates and vanilla ice cream has 68% less carbohydrates than pasta - vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 357% more dietary fiber than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 0.7g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Vanilla ice cream is high in sugar and pasta has 87% less sugar than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 21.2g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 273% more protein than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 3.5g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Vanilla ice cream is high in saturated fat and pasta has 96% less saturated fat than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 6.8g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Pasta has less cholesterol than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 44mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Vanilla ice cream and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - vanilla ice cream has 0.6mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Vanilla ice cream is a great source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - vanilla ice cream has 118ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin D

Vanilla ice cream has more Vitamin D than pasta - vanilla ice cream has 8iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Vanilla ice cream and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - vanilla ice cream has 0.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Vanilla ice cream and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - vanilla ice cream has 0.3ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Pasta has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, vanilla ice cream contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and vanilla ice cream contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.

Pasta Vanilla Ice Cream
Thiamin 0.891 MG 0.041 MG
Riboflavin 0.4 MG 0.24 MG
Niacin 7.177 MG 0.116 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.431 MG 0.581 MG
Vitamin B6 0.142 MG 0.048 MG
Folate 237 UG 5 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 0.39 UG

Minerals

calcium

Vanilla ice cream is an excellent source of calcium and it has 510% more calcium than pasta - vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.

iron

Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 35 times more iron than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 0.09mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.

potassium

Vanilla ice cream and pasta contain similar amounts of potassium - vanilla ice cream has 199mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg 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 Vanilla Ice Cream
lutein + zeaxanthin 18 UG ~
beta-carotene ~ 19 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Pasta Vanilla Ice Cream
alpha linoleic acid 0.024 G 0.175 G
EPA ~ 0.003 G
Total 0.024 G 0.178 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pasta and vanilla ice cream contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.

Pasta Vanilla Ice Cream
linoleic acid 0.54 G 0.275 G
Total 0.54 G 0.275 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Pasta or Vanilla Ice Cream .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice creams, vanilla) .

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FAQ

Does vanilla ice cream or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both vanilla ice cream and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 80% more calories than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 207 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.

Does vanilla ice cream or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and vanilla ice cream has 70% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - vanilla ice cream has 23.6g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.

Does vanilla ice cream or pasta contain more calcium?
Vanilla ice cream is a rich source of calcium and it has 510% more calcium than pasta - vanilla ice cream has 128mg of calcium in 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.

Does vanilla ice cream or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 35 times more iron than vanilla ice cream - vanilla ice cream has 0.09mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.

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