Pasta vs. Salmon
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Salmon
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
salmon
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and salmon:
- Both pasta and salmon are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more dha, epa and dpa than pasta.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, salmon contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
- Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Salmon (Fish, salmon, pink, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and salmon are high in calories. Pasta has 192% more calories than salmon - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and salmon has 127 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to salmon per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for salmon, 67:0:33 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 67% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | ~ |
| Fat | 4% | 33% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and salmon has less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than salmon - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Salmon has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and salmon does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and salmon are high in protein. Salmon has 57% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and salmon are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and salmon has 0.81g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both salmon and pasta are low in trans fat - salmon has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than salmon - salmon has 46mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Salmon has more Vitamin A than pasta - salmon has 35ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D and it has more Vitamin D than pasta - salmon has 435iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and salmon contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and salmon has 0.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin and folate, however, salmon contains more pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. Both pasta and salmon contain significant amounts of niacin.
| Pasta | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.08 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.105 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 7.995 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 1.03 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.611 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 4 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 4.15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta has 200% more calcium than salmon - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and salmon has 7mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 768% more iron than salmon - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 64% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has more DHA, EPA and DPA than pasta per 100 grams. Both pasta and salmon contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.047 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.333 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.182 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.047 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.609 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than salmon per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Salmon | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.081 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.004 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.085 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.
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Salmon 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 salmon contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and salmon are high in calories. Pasta has 190% more calories than salmon - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and salmon has 127 calories.
Is pasta or salmon better for protein?
Both pasta and salmon are high in protein. Salmon has 60% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and salmon has 20.5g of protein.
Does pasta or salmon have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and salmon has fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and salmon has no carbs..
Does pasta or salmon contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 770% more iron than salmon - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and salmon has 0.38mg of iron.
Does pasta or salmon contain more potassium?
Both pasta and salmon are high in potassium. Salmon has 60% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and salmon has 366mg of potassium.