White Bread vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of White Bread and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
white bread
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in white bread and pasta:
- Both white bread and pasta are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron and protein.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- White bread is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both white bread and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 56% more calories than white bread - white bread has 238 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, white bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to pasta per calorie. White bread has a macronutrient ratio of 18:74:8 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| White Bread | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 74% | 82% |
| Fat | 8% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both white bread and pasta are high in carbohydrates. Pasta has 70% more carbohydrates than white bread - white bread has 43.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both white bread and pasta are high in dietary fiber. White bread has 188% more dietary fiber than pasta - white bread has 9.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
White bread and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - white bread has 5g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both white bread and pasta are high in protein. Pasta has 22% more protein than white bread - white bread has 10.7g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both white bread and pasta are low in saturated fat - white bread has 0.63g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both white bread and pasta are low in trans fat - white bread has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
White bread and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - white bread has 1.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
White bread and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - white bread has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
White bread and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - white bread has 7.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Both white bread and pasta contain significant amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| White Bread | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.51 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.255 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 4.455 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.455 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 127 UG | 237 UG |
Minerals
calcium
White bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 31 times more calcium than pasta - white bread has 684mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Both white bread and pasta are high in iron. White bread has 48% more iron than pasta - white bread has 4.9mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 76% more potassium than white bread - white bread has 127mg 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, both white bread and pasta contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| White Bread | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 25 UG | 18 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, white bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| White Bread | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.083 G | 0.024 G |
| EPA | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.086 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both white bread and pasta contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| White Bread | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.879 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 0.881 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) .
White Bread 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 white bread or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both white bread and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 60% more calories than white bread - white bread has 238 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does white bread or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both white bread and pasta are high in carbohydrates. pasta has 70% more carbohydrates than white bread - white bread has 43.9g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does white bread or pasta contain more calcium?
White bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 31 times more calcium than pasta - white bread has 684mg of calcium in 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
Does white bread or pasta contain more iron?
Both white bread and pasta are high in iron. White bread has 50% more iron than pasta - white bread has 4.9mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.