Flour vs. Pasta
Nutrition comparison of Flour and Pasta
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
flour
versus
pasta
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in flour and pasta:
- Both pasta and flour are high in calories, carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Pasta is a great source of potassium.
- Pasta is an excellent source of iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Flour (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, unenriched) and Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and flour are high in calories. Pasta is very similar to flour for calories - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and flour has 364 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, flour is heavier in carbs and similar to pasta for protein and fat. Flour has a macronutrient ratio of 12:86:2 and for pasta, 14:82:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Flour | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 12% | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 86% | 82% |
| Fat | 2% | 4% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Both pasta and flour are high in carbohydrates. Pasta is very similar to pasta for carbohydrates - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pasta and flour are high in dietary fiber. Pasta has 19% more dietary fiber than flour - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and flour has 2.7g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and flour contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and flour has 0.27g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and flour are high in protein. Pasta has 26% more protein than flour - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and flour has 10.3g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and flour are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and flour has 0.16g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin E
Pasta and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and flour has 0.06mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and flour contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and flour has 0.3ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate. Both flour and pasta contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid.
| Flour | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.12 MG | 0.891 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.04 MG | 0.4 MG |
| Niacin | 1.25 MG | 7.177 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.438 MG | 0.431 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.044 MG | 0.142 MG |
| Folate | 26 UG | 237 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and flour contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and flour has 15mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 182% more iron than flour - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and flour has 1.2mg of iron.
potassium
Pasta is a great source of potassium and it has 108% more potassium than flour - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and flour has 107mg 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 flour and pasta contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Flour | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 18 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, both flour and pasta contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).
| Flour | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.022 G | 0.024 G |
| Total | 0.022 G | 0.024 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, both flour and pasta contain significant amounts of linoleic acid.
| Flour | Pasta | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.391 G | 0.54 G |
| Total | 0.391 G | 0.54 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.
Flour g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Pasta 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 flour contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and flour are high in calories. Pasta is quite similar to flour for calories - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and flour has 364 calories.
Does pasta or flour have more carbohydrates?
By weight, both pasta and flour are high in carbohydrates. pasta is very similar to pasta for carbohydrates - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and flour has 76.3g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or flour contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 180% more iron than flour - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and flour has 1.2mg of iron.