Pasta vs. Whole Wheat Flour
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Whole Wheat Flour
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
whole wheat flour
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and whole wheat flour:
- Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 12% more calories than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 332 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is similar to whole wheat flour for protein, carbs and fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for whole wheat flour, 11:84:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 84% |
| Fat | 4% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in carbohydrates. Whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for carbohydrates - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Whole wheat flour has 309% more dietary fiber than pasta - whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Whole wheat flour and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in protein. Pasta has 36% more protein than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are low in saturated fat - whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Whole wheat flour and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole wheat flour has 2.7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Whole wheat flour and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Whole wheat flour and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, whole wheat flour contains more pantothenic acid. Both pasta and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.297 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.188 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 5.347 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 1.011 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.191 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 28 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Whole wheat flour has 57% more calcium than pasta - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in iron. Whole wheat flour has 12% more iron than pasta - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour has 77% more potassium than pasta - whole wheat flour has 394mg 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 | Whole Wheat Flour | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 220 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 5 UG |
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 Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Whole Wheat Flour 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 whole wheat flour or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in calories. Pasta has 10% more calories than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 332 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does whole wheat flour or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in carbohydrates. whole wheat flour is very similar to whole wheat flour for carbohydrates - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does whole wheat flour or pasta contain more iron?
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in iron. Whole wheat flour has 10% more iron than pasta - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does whole wheat flour or pasta contain more potassium?
Both whole wheat flour and pasta are high in potassium. Whole wheat flour has 80% more potassium than pasta - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.