Pasta vs. Carrots
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Carrots
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
carrots
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and carrots:
- Both pasta and carrots are high in dietary fiber and potassium.
- Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Carrots (Carrots, raw) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and carrot has 89% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and carrot has 41 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in protein, lighter in carbs and similar to carrots for fat. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for carrots, 9:87:5 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 87% |
| Fat | 4% | 5% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and carrot has 87% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and carrots are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 14% more dietary fiber than carrot - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and carrot has 2.8g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and carrots contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and carrot has 4.7g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 13 times more protein than carrot - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and carrot has 0.93g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and carrots are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and carrot has 0.03g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Carrot has more Vitamin C than pasta - carrot has 5.9mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Carrot is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - carrot has 835ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and carrot has 0.66mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and carrots contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and carrot has 13.2ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and carrots contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.066 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.058 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.983 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.273 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.138 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 19 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Carrot has 57% more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and carrot has 33mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 1000% more iron than carrot - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and carrots are high in potassium. Carrot has 43% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and carrot has 320mg 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,
| Pasta | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 256 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 8285 UG |
| alpha-carotene | ~ | 3477 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 1 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than carrot per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.002 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.002 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than carrot per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Carrots | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.1 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.1 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.
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Carrots 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 pasta or carrots contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and carrot has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and carrot has 41 calories.
Does pasta or carrots have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and carrot has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and carrot has 9.6g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or carrots contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 1000% more iron than carrot - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and carrot has 0.3mg of iron.
Does pasta or carrots contain more potassium?
Both pasta and carrots are high in potassium. Carrot has 40% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and carrot has 320mg of potassium.