Couscous vs. Wheat Germ
Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Wheat Germ
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cooked
couscous
versus
wheat germ
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and wheat germ:
- Both wheat germ and couscous are high in calories.
- Couscous has 56.4 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Wheat germ has signficantly more calcium than couscous.
- Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and couscous are high in calories. Wheat germ has 221% more calories than couscous - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, couscous is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to wheat germ per calorie. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for wheat germ, 24:54:23 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Couscous | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 85% | 54% |
| Fat | 2% | 23% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 55% less carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Wheat germ is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 843% more dietary fiber than couscous - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Couscous and wheat germ contain similar amounts of sugar - couscous has 0.1g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Wheat germ is an excellent source of protein and it has 511% more protein than couscous - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Couscous has 56.4 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Couscous and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Couscous and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Wheat germ has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 and folate.
| Couscous | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.063 MG | 1.882 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.027 MG | 0.499 MG |
| Niacin | 0.983 MG | 6.813 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.371 MG | 2.257 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.051 MG | 1.3 MG |
| Folate | 15 UG | 281 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat germ has signficantly more calcium than couscous - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.
iron
Wheat germ is an excellent source of iron and it has 15 times more iron than couscous - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
Wheat germ is an excellent source of potassium and it has 14 times more potassium than couscous - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and couscous has 58mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.003 G | 0.723 G |
| Total | 0.003 G | 0.723 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.
| Couscous | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.06 G | 5.287 G |
| Total | 0.06 G | 5.287 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: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) .
Cooked Couscous g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Wheat Germ 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 wheat germ or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and couscous are high in calories. Wheat germ has 220% more calories than couscous - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.
Does wheat germ or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, wheat germ is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 60% fewer carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or couscous contain more iron?
Wheat germ is an abundant source of iron and it has 15 times more iron than couscous - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or couscous contain more potassium?
Wheat germ is a rich source of potassium and it has 14 times more potassium than couscous - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and couscous has 58mg of potassium.