Pasta vs. Wheat Germ
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Wheat Germ
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
wheat germ
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and wheat germ:
- Both wheat germ and pasta are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has 5 times less saturated fat than wheat germ.
- Wheat germ has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in calories. Wheat germ is very similar to wheat germ for calories - wheat germ has 360 calories per 100 grams and pasta has 371 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to wheat germ per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for wheat germ, 24:54:23 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 54% |
| Fat | 4% | 23% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in carbohydrates. Pasta has 44% more carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of total carbs per 100 grams and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in dietary fiber. Wheat germ has 313% more dietary fiber than pasta - wheat germ has 13.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Wheat germ has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in protein. Wheat germ has 78% more protein than pasta - wheat germ has 23.2g of protein per 100 grams and pasta has 13g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pasta has 5 times less saturated fat than wheat germ - wheat germ has 1.7g of saturated fat per 100 grams and pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Pasta and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and wheat germ does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Pasta and wheat germ contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta 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, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both pasta and wheat germ contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.
| Pasta | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 1.882 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.499 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 6.813 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 2.257 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 1.3 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 281 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Wheat germ has 86% more calcium than pasta - wheat germ has 39mg of calcium per 100 grams and pasta has 21mg of calcium.
iron
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in iron. Wheat germ has 90% more iron than pasta - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron per 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 300% more potassium than pasta - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium per 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, wheat germ has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.723 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.723 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, wheat germ has more linoleic acid than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Wheat Germ | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 5.287 G |
| Total | 0.54 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: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Wheat Germ (Wheat germ, crude) .
Pasta 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 pasta contain more calories in 100 grams?Both wheat germ and pasta are high in calories. Wheat germ is quite similar to wheat germ for calories - wheat germ has 360 calories in 100g and pasta has 371 calories.
Does wheat germ or pasta have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both wheat germ and pasta are high in carbohydrates. pasta has 40% more carbohydrates than wheat germ - wheat germ has 51.8g of carbs for 100g and pasta has 74.7g of carbohydrates.
Does wheat germ or pasta contain more iron?
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in iron. Wheat germ has 90% more iron than pasta - wheat germ has 6.3mg of iron in 100 grams and pasta has 3.3mg of iron.
Does wheat germ or pasta contain more potassium?
Both wheat germ and pasta are high in potassium. Wheat germ has 300% more potassium than pasta - wheat germ has 892mg of potassium in 100 grams and pasta has 223mg of potassium.