Couscous vs. Chickpeas

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Cooked Chickpeas


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cooked couscous versus cooked chickpeas (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and chickpeas:

  • Both couscous and chickpeas are high in calories.
  • Chickpea has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
  • Chickpea is a great source of calcium, iron, potassium and protein.
  • Chickpea is an excellent source of dietary fiber.
  • Couscous has 47 times less sugar than chickpea.
Detailed nutritional comparison of couscous and chickpeas is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Chickpeas (Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Couscous src
Image of Chickpeas src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both couscous and chickpeas are high in calories. Chickpea has 46% more calories than couscous - couscous has 112 calories per 100 grams and chickpea has 164 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, couscous is lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to chickpeas per calorie. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for chickpeas, 21:65:14 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Couscous Chickpeas
Protein 14% 21%
Carbohydrates 85% 65%
Fat 2% 14%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Couscous and chickpeas contain similar amounts of carbs - couscous has 23.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and chickpea has 27.4g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Chickpea is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 443% more dietary fiber than couscous - couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chickpea has 7.6g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Couscous has 47 times less sugar than chickpea - couscous has 0.1g of sugar per 100 grams and chickpea has 4.8g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Chickpea is a great source of protein and it has 134% more protein than couscous - couscous has 3.8g of protein per 100 grams and chickpea has 8.9g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both couscous and chickpeas are low in saturated fat - couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chickpea has 0.27g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Chickpea has more Vitamin C than couscous - chickpea has 1.3mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin A

Chickpeas and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - chickpea has 1ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Couscous and chickpeas contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chickpea has 0.35mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Couscous and chickpeas contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chickpea has 4ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Chickpea has more riboflavin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both couscous and chickpeas contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin and pantothenic acid.

Couscous Chickpeas
Thiamin 0.063 MG 0.116 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.063 MG
Niacin 0.983 MG 0.526 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.371 MG 0.286 MG
Vitamin B6 0.051 MG 0.139 MG
Folate 15 UG 172 UG

Minerals

calcium

Chickpea is a great source of calcium and it has 513% more calcium than couscous - couscous has 8mg of calcium per 100 grams and chickpea has 49mg of calcium.

iron

Chickpea is a great source of iron and it has 661% more iron than couscous - couscous has 0.38mg of iron per 100 grams and chickpea has 2.9mg of iron.

potassium

Chickpea is a great source of potassium and it has 402% more potassium than couscous - couscous has 58mg of potassium per 100 grams and chickpea has 291mg 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,

Couscous Chickpeas
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG ~
beta-carotene ~ 16 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, chickpea has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than couscous per 100 grams.

Couscous Chickpeas
alpha linoleic acid 0.003 G 0.043 G
Total 0.003 G 0.043 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, chickpea has more linoleic acid than couscous per 100 grams.

Couscous Chickpeas
linoleic acid 0.06 G 1.113 G
Total 0.06 G 1.113 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Couscous or Chickpeas .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Couscous (Couscous, cooked) and Chickpeas (Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt) .

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G Water G
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FAQ

Does couscous or chickpeas contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both couscous and chickpeas are high in calories. Chickpea has 50% more calories than couscous - couscous has 112 calories in 100g and chickpea has 164 calories.

Does couscous or chickpeas have more carbohydrates?
By weight, couscous and chickpeas contain similar amounts of carbs - couscous has 23.2g of carbs for 100g and chickpea has 27.4g of carbohydrates.