Couscous vs. Whole Wheat Flour

Nutrition comparison of Cooked Couscous and Whole Wheat Flour


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in couscous and whole wheat flour:

  • Both whole wheat flour and couscous are high in calories.
  • Whole wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
  • Whole wheat flour is a great source of protein.
  • Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and potassium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of couscous and whole wheat flour 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 Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Couscous src
Image of Whole Wheat Flour src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both whole wheat flour and couscous are high in calories. Whole wheat flour has 196% more calories than couscous - whole wheat flour has 332 calories per 100 grams and couscous has 112 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, couscous is similar to whole wheat flour for protein, carbs and fat. Couscous has a macronutrient ratio of 14:85:2 and for whole wheat flour, 11:84:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Couscous Whole Wheat Flour
Protein 14% 11%
Carbohydrates 85% 84%
Fat 2% 5%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Whole wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 69% less carbohydrates than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of total carbs per 100 grams and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 836% more dietary fiber than couscous - whole wheat flour has 13.1g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and couscous has 1.4g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Whole wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of sugar - whole wheat flour has 1g of sugar per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Whole wheat flour is a great source of protein and it has 154% more protein than couscous - whole wheat flour has 9.6g of protein per 100 grams and couscous has 3.8g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both whole wheat flour and couscous are low in saturated fat - whole wheat flour has 0.43g of saturated fat per 100 grams and couscous has 0.03g of saturated fat.

Vitamins

Vitamin A

Whole wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - whole wheat flour has 2.7ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and couscous does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Whole wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - whole wheat flour has 0.53mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and couscous has 0.13mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Whole wheat flour and couscous contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - whole wheat flour has 1.9ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and couscous has 0.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Whole wheat flour has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both couscous and whole wheat flour contain significant amounts of folate.

Couscous Whole Wheat Flour
Thiamin 0.063 MG 0.297 MG
Riboflavin 0.027 MG 0.188 MG
Niacin 0.983 MG 5.347 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.371 MG 1.011 MG
Vitamin B6 0.051 MG 0.191 MG
Folate 15 UG 28 UG

Minerals

calcium

Whole wheat flour has 313% more calcium than couscous - whole wheat flour has 33mg of calcium per 100 grams and couscous has 8mg of calcium.

iron

Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of iron and it has 876% more iron than couscous - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron per 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

potassium

Whole wheat flour is an excellent source of potassium and it has 579% more potassium than couscous - whole wheat flour has 394mg 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,

Couscous Whole Wheat Flour
lutein + zeaxanthin 25 UG 220 UG
beta-carotene ~ 5 UG



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 Whole Wheat Flour (Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat) .

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FAQ

Does whole wheat flour or couscous contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both whole wheat flour and couscous are high in calories. Whole wheat flour has 200% more calories than couscous - whole wheat flour has 332 calories in 100g and couscous has 112 calories.

Does whole wheat flour or couscous have more carbohydrates?
By weight, whole wheat flour is high in carbohydrates and couscous has 70% fewer carbohydrates than whole wheat flour - whole wheat flour has 74.5g of carbs for 100g and couscous has 23.2g of carbohydrates.

Does whole wheat flour or couscous contain more iron?
Whole wheat flour is an abundant source of iron and it has 880% more iron than couscous - whole wheat flour has 3.7mg of iron in 100 grams and couscous has 0.38mg of iron.

Does whole wheat flour or couscous contain more potassium?
Whole wheat flour is a rich source of potassium and it has 580% more potassium than couscous - whole wheat flour has 394mg of potassium in 100 grams and couscous has 58mg of potassium.