Pasta vs. Tomato Sauce
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Tomato Sauce
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
tomato sauce
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and tomato sauce:
- Both pasta and tomato sauce are high in potassium.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber, iron and protein.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Tomato Sauce (Tomato products, canned, sauce) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Pasta is high in calories and tomato sauce has 94% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 24 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is heavier in carbs, lighter in fat and similar to tomato sauce for protein. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for tomato sauce, 17:74:9 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Tomato Sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | 74% |
| Fat | 4% | 9% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and tomato sauce has 93% less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 5.3g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has 113% more dietary fiber than tomato sauce - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 1.5g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pasta and tomato sauce contain similar amounts of sugar - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 3.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pasta is an excellent source of protein and it has 987% more protein than tomato sauce - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 1.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and tomato sauce are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 0.04g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Tomato sauce has more Vitamin C than pasta - tomato sauce has 7mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin A
Tomato sauce has more Vitamin A than pasta - tomato sauce has 22ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and tomato sauce contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 1.4mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pasta and tomato sauce contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 2.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate. Both pasta and tomato sauce contain significant amounts of pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Tomato Sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.024 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.065 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 0.991 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.309 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.098 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 9 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and tomato sauce contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 244% more iron than tomato sauce - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 0.96mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and tomato sauce are high in potassium. Tomato sauce has 33% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and tomato sauce has 297mg 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 pasta and tomato sauce contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Pasta | Tomato Sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 18 UG | 24 UG |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 259 UG |
| lycopene | ~ | 13895 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pasta has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than tomato sauce per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Tomato Sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.005 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.005 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than tomato sauce per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Tomato Sauce | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.115 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.115 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.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Tomato Sauce (Tomato products, canned, sauce) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Tomato Sauce 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 tomato sauce contain more calories in 100 grams?Pasta is high in calories and tomato sauce has 90% less calories than pasta - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and tomato sauce has 24 calories.
Does pasta or tomato sauce have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and tomato sauce has 90% fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and tomato sauce has 5.3g of carbohydrates.
Does pasta or tomato sauce contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 240% more iron than tomato sauce - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and tomato sauce has 0.96mg of iron.
Does pasta or tomato sauce contain more potassium?
Both pasta and tomato sauce are high in potassium. Tomato sauce has 30% more potassium than pasta - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and tomato sauce has 297mg of potassium.