White Rice vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Cooked White Rice and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
white rice
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in white rice and spirulina:
- Both white rice and spirulina are high in calories.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than white rice.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than white rice.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- White rice has 45.4 times less saturated fat than spirulina.
USDA sources for nutritional information: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both white rice and spirulina are high in calories. Spirulina has 123% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, white rice is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. White rice has a macronutrient ratio of 8:91:2 and for spirulina, 58:24:18 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| White Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 8% | 58% |
| Carbohydrates | 91% | 24% |
| Fat | 2% | 18% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
White rice and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - white rice has 28.6g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Spirulina is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 11 times more dietary fiber than white rice - white rice has 0.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
White rice has less sugar than spirulina - spirulina has 3.1g of sugar per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Spirulina is an excellent source of protein and it has 23 times more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
White rice has 45.4 times less saturated fat than spirulina - white rice has 0.06g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than white rice - spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has more Vitamin A than white rice - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin E than white rice - spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Spirulina has more Vitamin K than white rice - spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and white rice does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both white rice and spirulina contain significant amounts of folate.
| White Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.167 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.016 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 1.835 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.411 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.05 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 58 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 39 times more calcium than white rice - white rice has 3mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Spirulina is an excellent source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than white rice - white rice has 1.5mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Spirulina is an excellent source of potassium and it has 46 times more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than white rice per 100 grams.
| White Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.01 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.01 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, spirulina has more linoleic acid than white rice per 100 grams.
| White Rice | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.046 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 0.046 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .
Cooked White Rice 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 white rice or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both white rice and spirulina are high in calories. Spirulina has 120% more calories than white rice - white rice has 130 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is white rice or spirulina better for protein?
Spirulina is a fantastic source of protein and it has 23 times more protein than white rice - white rice has 2.4g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does white rice or spirulina have more carbohydrates?
By weight, white rice and spirulina contain similar amounts of carbs - white rice has 28.6g of carbs for 100g and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
Does white rice or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 39 times more calcium than white rice - white rice has 3mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does white rice or spirulina contain more iron?
Spirulina is an abundant source of iron and it has 18 times more iron than white rice - white rice has 1.5mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does white rice or spirulina contain more potassium?
Spirulina is a rich source of potassium and it has 46 times more potassium than white rice - white rice has 29mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.