White Bread vs. Couscous
Nutrition comparison of White Bread and Cooked Couscous
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
white bread
versus
cooked
couscous
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in white bread and couscous:
- Both white bread and couscous are high in calories.
- Couscous has 49 times less sugar than white bread.
- White bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- White bread is a great source of protein.
- White bread is an excellent source of calcium, dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Couscous (Couscous, cooked) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both white bread and couscous are high in calories. White bread has 113% more calories than couscous - white bread has 238 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, white bread is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and heavier in fat compared to couscous per calorie. White bread has a macronutrient ratio of 18:74:8 and for couscous, 14:85:2 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| White Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 18% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 74% | 85% |
| Fat | 8% | 2% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
White bread is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 47% less carbohydrates than white bread - white bread has 43.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
White bread is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 557% more dietary fiber than couscous - white bread has 9.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Couscous has 49 times less sugar than white bread - white bread has 5g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
White bread is a great source of protein and it has 181% more protein than couscous - white bread has 10.7g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both white bread and couscous are low in saturated fat - white bread has 0.63g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.
trans fat
Both white bread and couscous are low in trans fat - white bread has 0.03g of trans fat per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
White bread and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - white bread has 1.2ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
White bread and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - white bread has 0.38mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
White bread and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - white bread has 7.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
White bread has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both white bread and couscous contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| White Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.51 MG | 0.063 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.255 MG | 0.027 MG |
| Niacin | 4.455 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.455 MG | 0.371 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.08 MG | 0.051 MG |
| Folate | 127 UG | 15 UG |
Minerals
calcium
White bread is an excellent source of calcium and it has 84 times more calcium than couscous - white bread has 684mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.
iron
White bread is an excellent source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than couscous - white bread has 4.9mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.
potassium
White bread has 119% more potassium than couscous - white bread has 127mg of potassium per 100 grams and couscous has 58mg 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 white bread and couscous contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| White Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 2 UG | ~ |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 25 UG | 25 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, white bread has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.
| White Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.083 G | 0.003 G |
| EPA | 0.003 G | ~ |
| Total | 0.086 G | 0.003 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, white bread has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.
| White Bread | Couscous | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.002 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 0.879 G | 0.06 G |
| Total | 0.881 G | 0.06 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: White Bread (Bread, white wheat) and Couscous (Couscous, cooked) .
White Bread g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Cooked Couscous 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 white bread or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?Both white bread and couscous are high in calories. White bread has 110% more calories than couscous - white bread has 238 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.
Does white bread or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, white bread is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 50% fewer carbohydrates than white bread - white bread has 43.9g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.
Does white bread or couscous contain more calcium?
White bread is a rich source of calcium and it has 84 times more calcium than couscous - white bread has 684mg of calcium in 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.
Does white bread or couscous contain more iron?
White bread is an abundant source of iron and it has 11 times more iron than couscous - white bread has 4.9mg of iron in 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.