Tortilla vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of Tortilla and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
tortilla
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in tortilla and pasta:
- Both pasta and tortilla are high in calories, carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
- Tortilla is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Tortilla (Tortillas, ready-to-bake or -fry, corn) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and tortilla are high in calories. Pasta has 70% more calories than tortilla - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and tortilla has 218 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, tortilla is lighter in protein, heavier in fat and similar to pasta for carbs. Tortilla has a macronutrient ratio of 10:79:11 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Tortilla | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 10% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 79% | 82% |
| Fat | 11% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both pasta and tortilla are high in carbohydrates. Pasta has 67% more carbohydrates than tortilla - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and tortilla has 44.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and tortilla are high in dietary fiber. Tortilla has 97% more dietary fiber than pasta - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tortilla has 6.3g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and tortilla contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and tortilla has 0.88g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 129% more protein than tortilla - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and tortilla has 5.7g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and tortilla are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tortilla has 0.45g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Tortilla and pasta contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - tortilla has 0.6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and tortilla contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tortilla has 0.28mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and tortilla contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tortilla does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both tortilla and pasta contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Tortilla | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.094 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.065 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 1.498 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.109 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.219 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 5 UG | 237 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Tortilla is an excellent source of calcium and it has 286% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and tortilla has 81mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 168% more iron than tortilla - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and tortilla has 1.2mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta and tortilla contain similar amounts of potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and tortilla has 186mg 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, both tortilla and pasta contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Tortilla | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 1 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 3 UG | 18 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both tortilla and pasta contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Tortilla | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.034 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.034 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, tortilla has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.
| Tortilla | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 1.385 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 1.385 G | 0.54 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.
Tortilla g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Pasta 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 tortilla contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and tortilla are high in calories. Pasta has 70% more calories than tortilla - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and tortilla has 218 calories.
Does pasta or tortilla have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both pasta and tortilla are high in carbohydrates. pasta has 70% more carbohydrates than tortilla - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and tortilla has 44.6g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or tortilla contain more calcium?
Tortilla is a rich source of calcium and it has 290% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and tortilla has 81mg of calcium.
Does pasta or tortilla contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 170% more iron than tortilla - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and tortilla has 1.2mg of iron.