Tofu vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Tofu and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tofu
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tofu and spirulina:
- Both spirulina and tofu are high in calcium, iron and protein.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than tofu.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than tofu.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium.
- Tofu has 74% less saturated fat than spirulina.
- Tofu has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tofu (Tofu, raw, regular, prepared with calcium sulfate) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Spirulina is high in calories and tofu has 74% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories per 100 grams and tofu has 76 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tofu is lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Tofu has a macronutrient ratio of 39:9:52 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tofu | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 39% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 9% | 24% |
| Fat | 52% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Tofu has signficantly less carbohydrates than spirulina - spirulina has 23.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and tofu has 1.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 11 times more dietary fiber than tofu - spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tofu has 0.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Spirulina and tofu contain similar amounts of sugar - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and tofu has 0.62g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both spirulina and tofu are high in protein. Spirulina has 611% more protein than tofu - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Tofu has 74% less saturated fat than spirulina - spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tofu has 0.69g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than tofu - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and tofu has 0.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has more Vitamin A than tofu - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and tofu does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than tofu - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tofu has 0.01mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has 963% more Vitamin K than tofu - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tofu has 2.4ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Tofu | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.081 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.052 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 0.195 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.068 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.047 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Both spirulina and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 192% more calcium than spirulina - spirulina has 120mg of calcium per 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
iron
Both spirulina and tofu are high in iron. Spirulina has 432% more iron than tofu - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron per 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than tofu - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium per 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than tofu per 100 grams.
| Tofu | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.319 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.319 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both tofu and spirulina contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Tofu | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 2.38 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 2.38 G | 1.254 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.
Tofu g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina 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 spirulina or tofu contain more calories in 100 grams?Spirulina is high in calories and tofu has 70% less calories than spirulina - spirulina has 290 calories in 100g and tofu has 76 calories.
Is spirulina or tofu better for protein?
Both spirulina and tofu are high in protein. Spirulina has 610% more protein than tofu - spirulina has 57.5g of protein per 100 grams and tofu has 8.1g of protein.
Does spirulina or tofu contain more calcium?
Both spirulina and tofu are high in calcium. Tofu has 190% more calcium than spirulina - spirulina has 120mg of calcium in 100 grams and tofu has 350mg of calcium.
Does spirulina or tofu contain more iron?
Both spirulina and tofu are high in iron. Spirulina has 430% more iron than tofu - spirulina has 28.5mg of iron in 100 grams and tofu has 5.4mg of iron.
Does spirulina or tofu contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 10 times more potassium than tofu - spirulina has 1363mg of potassium in 100 grams and tofu has 121mg of potassium.