Pasta vs. Squash
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cooked Squash
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cooked
squash
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and squash:
- Both squash and pasta are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
- Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and calcium.
- Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Squash (Squash, winter, butternut, cooked, baked, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and squash has 89% less calories than pasta - squash has 40 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to squash for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for squash, 8:91:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 91% |
| Fat | 4% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and squash has 86% less carbohydrates than pasta - squash has 10.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both squash and pasta are high in dietary fiber. is very similar to squash for dietary fiber - squash has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Squash and pasta contain similar amounts of sugar - squash has 2g of sugar per 100 grams and pasta has 2.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 13 times more protein than squash - squash has 0.9g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both squash and pasta are low in saturated fat - squash has 0.02g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Squash is a great source of Vitamin C and it has more Vitamin C than pasta - squash has 15.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Squash is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - squash has 558ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Squash and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - squash has 1.3mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Squash and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - squash has 1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and squash contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.072 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.017 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.969 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.359 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Squash is a great source of calcium and it has 95% more calcium than pasta - squash has 41mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 450% more iron than squash - squash has 0.6mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both squash and pasta are high in potassium. Squash has 27% more potassium than pasta - squash has 284mg 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 | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 4570 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 1130 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both pasta and squash contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Pasta | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than squash per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Squash | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.014 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.014 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 (%) |
Cooked Squash 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 squash or pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and squash has 90% less calories than pasta - squash has 40 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does squash or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and squash has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - squash has 10.5g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does squash or pasta contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 450% more iron than squash - squash has 0.6mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does squash or pasta contain more potassium?
Both squash and pasta are high in potassium. Squash has 30% more potassium than pasta - squash has 284mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.