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.
Detailed nutritional comparison of white rice and spirulina is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

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.


Image of White Rice src
Image of Spirulina src

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 8:91:1 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 1% 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 weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either White Rice or Spirulina .

Note: The specific food items compared are: White Rice (Rice, white, medium-grain, enriched, cooked) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) .

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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.

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