Pasta vs. Cheese
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Cheese
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
cheese
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and cheese:
- Both pasta and cheese are high in calories and protein.
- Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and calcium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheese contains more Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Cheese (Cheese, Mexican blend) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and cheese are high in calories. Pasta is very similar to pasta for calories - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and cheese has 384 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and much lighter in fat compared to cheese per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for cheese, 25:0:75 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | ~ |
| Fat | 4% | 75% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and cheese has 100% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than cheese - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Cheese has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and cheese does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and cheese are high in protein. Cheese has 81% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and cheese has 23.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cheese is high in saturated fat and pasta has 98% less saturated fat than cheese - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cheese has 16.1g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than cheese - cheese has 95mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Cheese is an excellent source of Vitamin A and it has more Vitamin A than pasta - cheese has 174ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin D
Cheese has more Vitamin D than pasta - cheese has 21iu of Vitamin D per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cheese has 0.25mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and cheese contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cheese has 2.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate, however, cheese contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and cheese contain significant amounts of riboflavin and pantothenic acid.
| Pasta | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.023 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.318 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.114 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.249 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.061 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 13 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.23 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and it has 30 times more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 459% more iron than cheese - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 162% more potassium than cheese - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and cheese has 85mg of potassium.
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, cheese has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.332 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.332 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both pasta and cheese contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Pasta | Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.532 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.532 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 (%) |
Cheese 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 cheese contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and cheese are high in calories. Pasta is quite similar to pasta for calories - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and cheese has 384 calories.
Does pasta or cheese have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and cheese has 100% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and cheese has 0.13g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or cheese contain more calcium?
Cheese is a rich source of calcium and it has 30 times more calcium than pasta - pasta has 21mg of calcium in 100 grams and cheese has 659mg of calcium.
Does pasta or cheese contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 460% more iron than cheese - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and cheese has 0.59mg of iron.